<p>Discover the history of this exceptional building, nestled in a Swiss alpine valley<br></p>

Elisabeth Chardon

At the Grand Chalet in Rossinière, Balthus’s family continues to make art

<p><strong>What does the word ‘Zurich’ mean to you?</strong></p>
<p>A feeling of openness, care, and understanding. </p>
<p><strong>Your first memory in Zurich?</strong></p>
<p>A kiss in the rain in the Limmat. </p>
<p><strong>What is the mark of a true ‘Zuricher’?</strong></p>
<p>Freitag bags. </p>

<p><strong>Which famous figure best embodies Zurich? </strong></p>
<p>Lhaga Koondhor – popess of Zurich nightlife, influencer, coach, guru, curator, silly girl.</p>
<p><strong>Your favorite place for breakfast?</strong></p>
<p>Café du Bonheur on Bullingerplatz, where you can dip your feet in the water fountain while enjoying a nice drink.</p>
<p><strong>Where are the best boutiques?</strong></p>
<p>Tasoni is a must, and the flea market on Bürkliplatz is cute. </p>

<p></p>
<p>He set up his studio in the hotel’s garage. In summer, you can look through the windows at the dozens of paintbrushes, tubes, and colored powders that are still in their spots. I was lucky enough to get close to the old armchair, the cigarette butts nibbled on by mice, to look at the spiders weave their webs along the high windows. Here, Balthus only painted in natural light. Today, Setsuko disturbs the room as little as possible and is moved whenever she finds a faint trace of him. She had organized his return home from the hospital in January 2001. Balthus wanted to go to his studio. He stayed there for three hours with his wife and daughter, before going to bed and falling into a short coma, dying the following day.</p>
<p>Whoever looks at the facade of the Grand Chalet (and understands French) is reminded that death ‘is born with him,’ that ‘pride is ridiculous and vain,’ and ‘the worms will grow fat on your rotting flesh.’ These foreboding words are engraved along a frieze above the first-floor windows. Higher, there’s the name of Jean-David Henchoz, the farmer and businessman who needed enormous cellars to mature his rounds of cheese and who built the chalet on the same proportions. He died in 1758, two years after it was finished.</p>
<p></p>

<p><strong></strong><strong>What can you only do in Zurich?</strong></p>
<p>Swim in the Limmat.</p>
<p><strong>What do you miss most about Zurich when you are away?</strong></p>
<p>Nights at Longstreet Bar when it used to be cool.</p>
<p><strong>Your best advice for those just visiting? </strong></p>
<p>Fall accidently in the river, eat a vegetarian currywurst, enjoy a cocktail at Kronenhalle, invite the barman of Chicago Bar to show you his panini book. </p>
<p> </p>

<p>Setsuko<br>‘Into Nature’<br>Promenade79, Gstaad<br>From July 1st to September 10, 2023</p>
<p>Elisabeth Chardon is the co-editor of the quarterly publication <em>La Couleur des jours</em>. She was also the editor in charge of visual arts at the Swiss daily broadsheet <em>Le Temps</em>, with which she still collaborates.<br></p>
<p>English translation: Catherine Bennett.</p>
<p>Published on June 23, 2023.</p>
<p>Caption for full-bleed images, from top to bottom: 1, 2. Grand Chalet de Rossinière. © Alain Saint-sulpice. 3.&nbsp;Grand Chalet de Rossinière. © Alice Jaquillard.</p>

title_style_2

<section></section>
<section> <section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div><p>From the Bains des Pâquis to the MAMCO collections, Mai-Thu Perret shares her vision of the smallest of the great European cities<br><br></p>





</div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section>
<section> <section><main><section></section></main></section></section>
<section></section>

Stories

My Geneva: Mai-Thu Perret


<p>A stone’s throw away from major European art centers, it sports ambitious museums, world-class art schools, and inspiring landscapes</p>


A deep dive into French-speaking Switzerland’s vibrant contemporary art scene

<p></p>
<p>A flurry of recent projects is bringing new energy to the Swiss city’s art scene<br></p>
<p></p>

Geneva’s art world finds its wings

Discover the history of this exceptional building, nestled in a Swiss alpine valley

Welcome,

DISCOVER MORE RELATED CONTENT BELOW: