Art Collection

An Artistic Heritage Spanning 2000 Years

The Bibliotheca Hertziana’s art collection is divided into two parts: on the one hand, the permanent artistic furnishings of the historical premises of the Institute and, on the other, the movable works of art and fittings that go back to the Institute’s founder Henriette Hertz (1846–1913).

The first group includes archaeological findings from the gardens of Lucullus discovered underneath the buildings, as well as mannerist frescoes by Federico Zuccari dating from the 1590s and early 20th-century wall and ceiling decorations commissioned by Count Gregory Stroganoff. The second group comprises paintings, sculptures, antiques, furniture, and luxury objects that Henriette Hertz bequeathed to the Kaiser Wilhelm Society in 1913 along with the Palazzo Zuccari. Of particular interest as a research resource is a collection of prints and drawings acquired by Henriette Hertz and members of her close circle, such as her friend Frida Mond and the art agent Jean Paul Richter.

Hertziana App

The development of the Hertziana App, initiated in 2021, was completed in 2024 under the direction of Susanne Kubersky-Piredda and with financial support from the Department Weddigen. The app can be downloaded from all common platforms and is based on the software Viseum provided by the Swiss start-up company Aperion XR. [more]

Hertziana Collection of Prints and Drawings

The Bibliotheca Hertziana holds a collection of around 2000 prints and 250 drawings, which, like the library and the photo archive, is part of the Institute’s scholarly resources, but has so far remained largely neglected. [more]

Hertziana Research Exhibitions

On the initiative of Susanne Kubersky-Piredda and with the financial support of the Department Weddigen, the ground floor of the historical institute building, decorated with frescoes by Federico Zuccari, was set up as an exhibition space in 2022. [more]