Cartoonmuseum Basel’s collection comprises around 12,000 original works and about 2,000 loaned works. Together, they constitute a representative and high-quality selection of drawings, cartoons and caricatures, created using a wide variety of techniques. The collection includes works by about 700 artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, and from around 40 countries. Among them are big names, such as Jean-Maurice Bosc, Claire Bretécher, Paul Flora, George Grosz, Olaf Gulbransson, Heinrich Kley, Loriot, H.G. Rauch, Ronald Searle, Jean-Jacques Sempé, Erich Sokol, Saul Steinberg and Tomi Ungerer. The collection contains cartoons with and without text, parodies and pastiches of artworks and artists, caricatures, and representations of topics from society, politics, culture and everyday life. All works are inventoried in a fully digital manner and indexed according to scientific criteria.

The collection is enlarged whenever an opportunity arises, usually in connection with an exhibition and in close cooperation with the artists. Narrative drawings and caricatures are added to the collection if they make a critical comment on social issues and suit the museum’s programme. The museum only buys high-quality works by Swiss or international artists. In this regard, impressive young talents are given just as much consideration as recognised artists.