The Kunstmuseum Basel is the largest and most significant public art collection in Switzerland - and is also listed as a heritage site of national significance. It is also one of the oldest publicly accessible art collections in the world. Housed in three venues across Basel, the museum has artworks from the 15th century to the present day, including the largest collection of works by the Holbein family. Other artists and movements are also well represented, including Rembrandt, Impressionist artists such as Monet and Renoir, as well as modernist painters such as Klee and Picasso. Kunstmuseum Basel also has an active contemporary art programme, with acquisitions by William Kentridge and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye discussed in this book.

Richly illustrated with engaging commentaries and insights by the museum's director, Josef Helfenstein, Director's Choice: Kunstmuseum Basel is an excellent highlights tour of this renowned collection and an introduction to the history of western art.