Alte Pinakothek

Right in front of the Egyptian Museum is one of the oldest and most important galleries in the world, the Alte Pinakothek. The construction of the museum was decided in 1820. It was when Ludwig I, a passionate art collector decided to make his treasures available to the public.

Leo von Klenze, Ludwig I’s favorite architect took over the construction of the building of Alte Pinakothek in 1826. At the time of its completion in 1836, the Alte Pinakothek was the largest museum in the world. This sumptuous & functional at the same time masterpiece of architecture, quickly became a model for other museums such as the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg.

Heavily damaged during the Second World War, the Alte Pinakothek was rebuilt by Hans Döllgast in 1957. Rather than simply reconstructing numerous sections of the facade, they were replaced with bare brickwork as visible wounds. In so doing, the museum serves as an architectural example of post-war reconstruction.

Today more than 800 masterpieces by European artists bring to life the development of art from the Middle Ages to the end of the Rococo period. Venetian art is represented by its master painter Titian, as is Dutch baroque art by Peter Paul Rubens occupies (with one of the largest collections of his work in the world) the center of the museum. Velázquez, Leonardo da Vinci, Tintoretto, Raphael, El Greco, and Botticelli are only some of the great masters exhibited in this treasure trove of art. More