Fondation de l’Hermitage Guided Tour and Dinner
Thursday, 1 May 2025
   

Join us for an exclusive guided tour in English of the acclaimed exhibition “Treasures of the Petit Palais”, showcasing Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces from the renowned Petit Palais in Geneva with the option to dine afterwards at the fabulous restaurant L’Esquisse, set in the park next to the museum.

We also encourage you to arrive a little early and enjoy a stroll through the beautiful garden overlooking Lausanne.
 
In 1841, Lausanne banker Charles-Juste Bugnion and his wife purchased the Hermitage estate, perched on a hill overlooking the city, and built a residence remarkable for its openness to the landscape. In 1976, the Bugnion family donated the house and part of the grounds to the City of Lausanne. A private foundation was established to open the residence to the public and create a major visual arts museum.
Since 1984, the Fondation de l’Hermitage has hosted temporary exhibitions and regularly displays works from its own collection.

This exhibition showcases the collection of Oscar Ghez, a Tunisian-born industrialist who began acquiring art in the 1950s with a bold and eclectic eye. His focus on late-19th and early 20th-century painting extended beyond the great masters to include then-overlooked talents.
Alongside works by Manet and Renoir, the collection features outstanding pieces by Caillebotte, Steinlen, Angrand, Luce, and Valtat—some of whom have since gained iconic status. Ghez was also ahead of his time in championing women artists such as Bracquemond, Hébuterne, Kraemer, Lempicka, and Valadon, long before their contributions were widely recognised.

 
Programme
17:45-18:00: Meeting at the entrance of l’Hermitage museum (please arrive in time)
18:00-19:15: Guided visit of the exhibition “Treasures of the Petit Palais” 
19:30–21:30: Dinner at Restaurant L’Esquisse (optional)
If you would like us to reserve a table for you (à la carte menu, pay-as-you-go), please check the box in the registration form and indicate the number of people. 
 

Key Facts
Where: Meeting point at L’Hermitage, Parc de l’Hermitage, Rte du Signal 2, 1018 Lausanne 
Access:
By public transport from Lausanne train station: métro M2 – stop Riponne-Maurice Béjart
From place de la Riponne: bus TL 16, direction Grand Vennes – stop Hermitage 
By car: Parking du Signal, place des Fêtes de Sauvabelin (coordonates GPS 46.53303, 6.64013)
The museum is accessible from the parking area (5 min walk).

When: Thursday, 1 May 17:45-19:15 
 
Tickets: CHF 25 Members of Swiss Association (paid-up) // CHF 35 Alumni non-members and guests
Ticketing closes 48h before the event.
 
Registration: https://infomaniak.events/fr-ch/shop/insead-swiss-alumni-association-E7ADPERMDR/event/1417167/
 
INSEAD Alumni Association Switzerland
Lena Beckerleg, MBA 86D, Lausanne Chapter Committee Member, & event organiser (079 304 33 21 – lena@beckerleg.net)
Susanne Janssen, MBA 96J
Vivek Dogra, MBA 04D, President Lausanne Chapter
events@insead.ch