Alte Pinakothek, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung

Description

In the Kunstareal München the Alte Pinakothek, as a museum of the Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen, presents an extensive selection of European painting from the Middle Ages to the mid-18th century. Opposite it stands the Neue Pinakothek; together with the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Museum Brandhorst, the Türkentor and other institutions it forms the city’s Kunstareal.

The collection dates back to the 16th century, when electoral collections were brought together in various residences. Over several generations the Wittelsbacher acquired and exchanged works from northern Italy, the Netherlands and Germany; significant holdings from the Mannheimer, Zweibrücker and Düsseldorfer collections were incorporated. Loss and return of paintings shaped the collection as much as the acquisition of large-scale Old Master works and the integration of sacred paintings after the Säkularisation. Royal acquisition campaigns in the 19th century led to the purchase of prominent collections and to the opening of the house in 1836; with the opening of the Neue Pinakothek in 1853 the institution received its present name.

The neoclassical building was erected between 1826 and 1836 and was among the most advanced museum buildings of its time; it was specifically designed for the presentation of paintings and set standards for galleries in Europe. Parts of it were severely damaged in the Second World War; in the 1950s it was rebuilt in an altered form that deliberately left visible traces of the destruction. A comprehensive renovation and successive refurbishments have preserved the fabric and the exhibition spaces.

Today more than 700 works are permanently on display in around 19 halls and 47 cabinets. The collection comprises outstanding holdings of Early German, Early Netherlandish, Flemish, Dutch Baroque and Italian Renaissance and Baroque painting. The Rubens collection is of particular significance, with numerous masterpieces; paintings by Dürer, Rembrandt, Leonardo, Raffael, Tizian, Brueghel, Botticelli and many others also form central highlights of the exhibition.