Art collectors are a passionate miniscule minority who go to extreme lengths to add to their collection and Dr. Horst Metzger was a dedicated German scientist who was smitten by the beauty of the Pahadi miniatures. The delicate and red colours and the intricate beauty of the detailed work kept him enthralled during his lifetime and hisquest to find more pieces took him to many art auctions and private collections across the world.
When he passed away, following a long illness, he very generously bequeathed his priceless collection of 250 paintings, created by Indian masters who worked in the sub-Himalayan region, to the Museum of Reitberg in Zurich. Hardly surprising considering the great Indophile Dr Eberhard Fischer was its director and Metzger would have felt confident that the painstakingly collected works would find a deserving home. The Reitberg museum prides itself on an important collection of Indian sculptures as well.
