Worlds Within
The gift of Betty and Hartmut Raguse-Stauffer
Over the course of four decades, Betty and Hartmut Raguse-Stauffer, two Basel-based art enthusiasts who combine wide-ranging expertise with a keen eye for quality, have built an imposing collection. Since 2014, they have donated around three hundred works to the Kunstmuseum Basel’s Kupferstichkabinett (Department of Prints and Drawings). They are especially fond of the Expressionists, above all Emil Nolde, and contemporary artists who create figurative work such as A. R. Penck, Jonathan Borofsky, Marlene Dumas, and Rosemarie Trockel. The key themes in the collection reflect the Raguse-Stauffers’ personal passions and interests; many works probe existential experiences such as love, death, and spirituality. In honor of their generosity, we present a selection of around seventy drawings and watercolors from the ample ensemble donated to the museum.
