Initially Emil Bührle acquired works almost exclusively in Switzerland; then, from 1951, an intensive second phase followed, which was greatly influenced by Bührle’s business dealings with the United States. The publication illustrates the colourful history of the collection, which includes a total of 633 works, and examines its importance with regard to modernist art collections in Germany, Switzerland and the United States. The survey is complemented by contributions from a number of authors who present 70 masterpieces of the collection, from the old masters to Picasso.