The Berry Museum is housed in the century-old Villa Arona in the heart of St. Moritz. It is dedicated to Peter Robert Berry II (1864-1942), who worked as a spa doctor and soon decided to take up painting. Over the course of 40 years, he produced numerous oil paintings, pastels and drawings. Like Giovanni Segantini, Berry also cultivated a divisionist style and his subjects were drawn from the Engadin mountain landscape; he saw himself in particular as a painter of the Julier and Bernina Passes. The Berry Museum was founded in 2004 by the painter's grandson, Peter Robert Berry IV, and opened on the premises of Villa Arona. Today it houses oil paintings, pastels and drawings by Peter Robert Berry II.
Berry Museum, St. Moritz
Peter Robert Berry II (1864–1942), Cavalry Procession at the Julier Pass, 1908, oil on canvas (81 x 65), catalog no. 37
Permanent Exhibition
In the painting "Ritterzug Julierpass" (1908), a vast alpine meadow is crossed by a mounted treck.
The sun is shining, the grass has once again turned a vivid green, and only a few traces of snow remain at higher altitudes. One has the impression of witnessing an almost mythical vision. The clear air and the silence bring forth the enigmatic figures, among which the leading couple particularly draws attention: they appear to be two newlyweds or lovers, a subject that recurs several times in Berry's works.
P. R. Berry II's love for the representation of nature is here intertwined with his fascination for allegorical subjects, leaving us this painting of quiet beauty.
Drawing on the extensive family collection, the Berry Museum provides an in-depth insight into the artistic work of Peter Robert Berry, who saw himself in particular as a painter of the Julier and Bernina Passes. His most powerful paintings are linked to these outstanding spots in the Engadin landscape. The conciseness of these works is due to the tireless search for the wide horizon, the clarity of the contours and the intense light moods at over 2000 meters above sea level.
Peter Robert Berry II (1864–1942), Cavalry Procession at the Julier Pass, 1908, oil on canvas (81 x 65), catalog no. 37
The "Bernina Room" at the Berry Museum
Peter Robert Berry II at the heights of Bernina Pass, 1908Events
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