Pinakothek (Munich) - one of the most famous world-class art galleries, which presents more than 700 paintings of the 14-21 centuries, which were written by the most famous masters: Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, A. Durer, I. Bosch, Altdorfer, V. Titian , S. Botticelli, F. Goya and others.
History of the collection
The Old Pinakothek in Munich (Alte Pinakothek) is a popular and well-known museum, which houses 9 thousand paintings by European artists of the 14-18 centuries. A distinctive feature of the museum comes from its name. Pinakothek (Greek: “art gallery”) is a place where exclusively paintings are exhibited.
In 1528, the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV von Wittelsbach, who wanted to decorate the summer pavilion of his Munich residence with paintings for historical reasons, began to collect a collection of paintings. The very first was written “The Battle of Alexander”, dedicated to the battle of Alexander the Great with the Persian army of King Darius. Then other members of the Vittelbach family began to replenish the collection.
By the end of the 17th century, the collection in its significance became one of the most outstanding in Europe. In particular, the works of Flemish artists, which were collected by the Bavarian elector Max Emmanuel (1679-1726), were added to him.
By the beginning of the 18th century, the museum already had works by outstanding painters from Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. Then there was a further increase in the collection:
- in 1777, paintings from the Mannheim Gallery were added to it;
- in 1803 - 1,500 paintings, which were previously in churches and monasteries;
- 1806 - Düsseldorf collections and works from the Carlsberg castle were added.
To accommodate the paintings, a separate hall was built in the Schleissheim Palace.
Construction of the Pinakothek building
The reign of Ludwig I of Bavaria (1825-1848) is a significant period in the history of the Munich Gallery. At this time, he acquired the famous works of German and Dutch artists of the 15th century, Italian paintings of the Renaissance.
To accommodate such a rich collection, the need has already ripened for the construction of a special building and the placement of works there in chronological order.
Ludwig I decided that his private collection of works of art deserved to be made public, so that Munich would be considered the world famous center for painting and other arts.
The plan of the gallery building was designed by the architect Leo von Klenz in the Renaissance style. The ceremonial laying of the foundation of the building took place in April 1826 on the birthday of artist Rafael Santi, beloved by Ludwig. The king of Bavaria ordered the museum to be called the Greek word pinakothek.
The old Pinakothek (Munich) was built already by 1836, and then Ludwig issued a decree on free access to all comers to the museum on Sundays. However, in the first years, the townspeople did not so much visit the museum as arrange picnics on the lawn in front of the gallery.
The old Pinakothek exclusively houses paintings, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment. Its building is rather gloomy and gray; inside the hall it is also almost not decorated with anything. The complete lack of decoration was made specifically so that visitors would not be distracted from the main purpose of visiting the museum - the contemplation of masterpieces of the world art of painting.
Throughout the 19-20 centuries, the Pinakothek collection continued to expand through the acquisition of paintings from those times for which the new Pinakothek was built in 1853.
War and restoration of museums
During the 2nd World War, the Pinacotheca (Munich) was badly damaged during the raids of Anglo-American aviation. The paintings themselves survived, because they were pre-arranged in underground shelters. The building of the old Pinakothek was restored only by 1963.
But the building of the new Pinakothek (see photo) was almost completely destroyed, and it was not possible to restore it. The new Pinacoteca was completely rebuilt according to the project of architect A. Brancas, and it opened only in 1981.
The building is unusual, has many bay windows and semicircular window arches, which at one time caused public debate and different opinions. However, the halls are magnificent inside, especially the positive lighting provided by the architect was especially appreciated.
Now there are 550 paintings and sculptures of 19-20 centuries.
Collections of the Old Pinakothek
The exhibition is located in a two-story building, on the ground floor of which in the left wing there are temporary, often changing exhibitions. Among the painters represented by the old Pinakothek (Munich) are paintings by Flemish and German artists of the 15-17th centuries: P. Brueghel, L. Cranach and others (right wing).
On the second floor - collections of the Northern Renaissance: paintings by the Dutchman L. van Leiden, Rembrandt; Dürer and S. Lochner; Italian masters Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci; Flemish Van Dyck, Rubens.
In the right wing, you can see collections of paintings of the Baroque and Rococo era, among which are El Greco and Murillo, as well as other Italian, French and German artists.
Masterpieces of the Old Pinakothek
Many works of famous artists are represented by the old Pinakothek (Munich): masterpieces of the 15-18 centuries, each of which has its own history.
For example, the painting “Madonna and Carnation” was accidentally bought from a merchant, and only later it became clear that it belongs to the brush of young Leonardo da Vinci. Now this is the only canvas of the master, located in Germany. The carnation flower that the Virgin Mary holds is a symbol of immortality.
The works of Francois Boucher's “Portrait of Madame de Pompadour” (1758) and “The Resting Girl” (1752) depict court ladies: the favorite of Louis the 15th, who was a famous beauty with impeccable taste, and Louise O'Murphy, the court lady, who in the future also became the favorite of the king.
The works of Van Dyck "Self-portrait" (1619) and "Susanna and the Elders" (1622), masters of the court portrait and religious paintings.
The work of P. Rubens “The Last Judgment” (1617) tells about an important event: when people with a story about their lives, committed sins and great achievements appear before God to determine their future destiny - the path to heaven or hell. This is one of the largest canvases in world history measuring 610 x 460 cm, under which the museum hall is specially designed.
In the painting “The Death of Seneca” (1613), the famous Dutch artist P. Rubens talks about a historical fact that happened with the famous thinker Seneca, whom Emperor Nero ordered to commit suicide as a punishment for betrayal. The philosopher Seneca adequately listened to this decision and, together with his wife, was prepared to accept his death.
New Pinacotheca: History
The new Pinakothek in Munich was founded in 1846 as a continuation of the old and initially contained works of art of the 18th century. King of Greece Otto continued the work of his father and formed an exhibition of works by artists of the Munich School of Painting. The famous landscape painter K. Rothman specially for the gallery painted 23 large canvases with the image and dedication of Greece.
In 1909, the works of French impressionists (Cezanne, Manet, Gauguin, etc.) were added to the collection.
In the new Pinakothek collected works of art of the 19-20 centuries of the eras of romanticism, classicism and realism. In total there are 3,000 paintings and 300 sculptures in the storerooms, of which 550 paintings and 50 sculptors' works are exhibited in 22 halls.
Pictures of the new Pinakothek
The most famous masterpieces presented by the new Pinakothek (Munich) are paintings:
- "Vase with Sunflowers" by V. Van Gogh (1888) - is a depiction of a symbol of optimism and creative thoughts of a person, a gift to the viewer a small piece of the sun.
- “The Poor Poet” C. Spitzweg (1839) - describes the mess and strange situation in the home of a lonely poet, so enthusiastic about his work that he does not see his surroundings.
- “After a Stormy Night” by Yu. K. K. Dahl (1819) - the picture is saturated with the consequences of the crash left after the storm, and at the same time, it sings of rebirth in the form of a ray of light.
- Don Quixote by Honore Daumier (1868) symbolizes the loneliness of a hero whom the artist specially wrote without a face.
Pinakothek of the present
The third, most modern part of the gallery (opened since 2002) is the Pinakothek of modernity (Munich), which is dedicated to today's arts. It includes 4 independent museums:
- A collection of contemporary art that is part of the Bavarian collection of paintings.
- State Museum of Applied Arts.
- Architectural Museum - tells mainly about German architecture of the 19-21 centuries, the exposition often changes (500 thousand drawings and plans created by architects at different times, as well as 100 thousand photos of architectural solutions).
- Munich State Graphic Assembly (350 thousand prints and 45 thousand drawings).
The Pinakothek building of modernity was erected by the project of architect S. Braunfels for private donations. It is spacious and bright, in the center of it is a two-sphere rotunda, in two directions from which wide stairs diverge, directing visitors to the exhibition.
In the underground part there is a designer collection, on the 1st floor there are architectural and graphic collections, as well as temporary exhibitions.
The western wing contains a collection of classical Art Nouveau, the eastern - talks about the directions of contemporary art: expressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, the Bauhaus, surrealism, pop art, minimalism, etc.
All collections were collected in the second half of the 20th century as donations from collectors donated to the museum. The last gift is a collection of German and North American art from the 1960s and 90s. - was transferred in 2006 by E. and M. Stoffeli.
The collection includes works by famous artists: A. Matisse, F. Leger, Salvador Dali, P. Picasso, etc. There is also a room with photographs by contemporary photographers.
Pinakothek in Munich: opening hours, prices
All three Pinakothek are located close to each other, on Sunday the price is 1 €, but on this day the museums are crowded with tourists.
Addresses: Barer Straße 27, 29, 40, Munich (Pinakothek). Opening hours:
- Old - 10.00 to 18.00, Tuesday to 20.00, closed Monday.
- New - 10.00 to 18.00, Wednesday to 20.00, closed Tuesday.
- Pinakothek of the present - from 10.00 to 18.00, on Thursday until 20.00, seven days a week.
On ordinary days, the cost in Pinakothek varies:
- Old - ticket price 4 €.
- New - 7 €.
- Pinakothek of the present - 10 €.
Pinakothek in Munich: reviews
Reviews of tourists who visited the Pinakothek in Munich are all, without exception, enthusiastically positive. For people who are professionally interested in painting and various areas of contemporary art, these art galleries are a storehouse of information and new impressions of the masterpieces of the world art of painting.
Many visitors regret that the old Pinakothek (Munich) is only partially open to visitors until 2018, some expositions do not work due to restoration work.
For tourists, a visit to the famous Munich Picture Gallery provides an opportunity to get acquainted with various types of art (painting, sculpture, architecture and design) of several eras, from the Middle Ages to modern times.