Alte Pinakothek Munich: Information on exhibitions, artists and paintings

Why the Alte Pinakothek is worth a visit:

Since 1836, art enthusiasts have been wandering through the impressive rooms on two floors created by the architect Leo von Klenze.

What to see? Well over 700 paintings are on display in 19 halls and 47 cabinets - including highlights of art history by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt and Albrecht Altdorfer, as well as works of art by the grand masters Botticelli, da Vinci, Raphael, Titian and Rubens.

What is special? The collection of Old German painting is the most extensive of its kind. In addition to masterful art, workshops, readings, concerts, film screenings, children's programs and drawing classes are held regularly.

Botticelli, da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rubens: 700 paintings from all over Europe

The names of the artists in the Alte Pinakothek are those of the grand masters: Botticelli, da Vinci, Raphael, Titian or Rubens, among others. More than 700 paintings from all over Europe await you here. Many of them are among the highlights of art history, for example:

• Albrecht Dürer's "Self-Portrait in a Fur Coat": With this painting, the artist created one of the most unusual portraits in history.
• Rembrandt's "Youthful Self-Portrait": the hand-sized painting shows the Dutch artist at the age of 23.
• Albrecht Altdorfer's "The Battle of Alexander at Issus" - German "Alexanderschlacht": Probably the most famous large painting by the German painter shines in its bright colors.
• Peter Paul Rubens "The Great Last Judgment": the oil painting, more than six meters high, is presented on the top floor in the room dedicated to Flemish painting of the 17th century.

Discover the masterpieces of the Neue Pinakothek in the Alte Pinakothek

The Neue Pinakothek is currently closed for several years, as the building needs an extensive renovation. During this time, a selection of masterpieces of 19th-century art is on display on the groundfloor of the Alte Pinakothek (east wing) and in the Sammlung Schack. Therefore, you have the unique opportunity to experience the most famous paintings of the Alte and Neue Pinakothek in one house!

The presentation "From Goya to Manet" displays a selection of around 90 paintings and sculptures from the Neue Pinakothek’s collection - from the late 18th to the early 20th century:

• The lower floor’s large central gallery brings together images of the human figure by Neoclassical artists to the early Modernists. The sharply observed portraits of the court painter to the Spanish crown, Francisco Goya, and Thomas Gainsborough’s stylized depictions of the English upper class posing in natural settings are juxtaposed with the cool detachment of Edouard Manet’s Le Déjeuner and Edgar Degas’ portrayal of the ordinary folk of the Paris of his day.
• The room leading off this gallery features the monumental Neoclassicism of Antonio Canova in dialogue with the dreamy Symbolism of George Minne.
• The adjoining gallery shows the works of Van Gogh, Klimt, Segantini, and others, as they wrestle and break with long-held conventions of seeing.

Readings, concerts, workshops: Museum events in the Alte Pinakothek

Special exhibitions on selected aspects of European arts, as well as presentations from the museum's own holdings have a long tradition at the Alte Pinakothek.

Also: Your visit to the Alte Pinakothek does not necessarily have to end at the tour. The museum organizes readings, concerts and film screenings, as well as workshops and seminars.

Children's tours and school vacation program

The Munich Pinakotheken also offer a diverse program for children and young people:

• exciting tours for children
• many workshops
• interactive drawing classes
• school vacation programs

Shop and café

• Shop: Publications of the Alte Pinakothek as well as postcards, posters or gift articles are available
• Café Klenze offers scones, soups, salads and sandwiches in the style of an English coffee house, along with coffee and 60 types of tea.

Admission prices

• Regular price: 7 euros
• Reduced: 5 euros (seniors over 65, students, severely disabled people)
• Sunday admission: 1 euro
• Admission is free for children and young people under the age of 18

The history of the Alte Pinakothek

King Ludwig I of Bavaria was a passionate art collector. Around 1820, he decided to make his treasures accessible to the public. The museum was built by his court architect Leo von Klenze between 1826 and 1836 in the Neoclassical style, which at the time represented a new and pioneering effort in European museum architecture. At that time, the Alte Pinakothek was considered the largest museum building in the world - and used as a model for other museums, such as the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. With the Alte Pinakothek, architect Leo von Klenze set new, pathbreaking standards: the imposing galleries, lit by large skylights, and the accompanying smaller galleries on the north side, were to have a decisive effect on other European museum architecture.

The museum was inaugurated in 1836. Among its treasures is an extensive art collection of the Wittelsbach family. The building was heavily damaged in the Second World War - fortunately, the paintings had been moved out before. It was rebuilt by Hans Döllgast in 1957. Rather than simply reconstructing numerous sections of the façade, they were replaced with bare brickwork as visible “wounds”. In so doing, the museum serves as an architectural example of post-war reconstruction.