Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister

Gemäldegalerie,
Dresden
Saxony
Germany

Type: Gallery
Addmission Fee: €10
Hours: Mondays on an experimental basis

Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)

[ Related page: Famous Museums of Germany ]

Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) is the largest gallery in the Zwinger and by far the most impressive museum in Dresden and all of Saxony. Despite losing 206 works during World War II, and having most of the collection detour to Russia for a decade, it remains one of the richest archives of European paintings of the 15th to 18th century. Most of the collection was acquired during the reign of Elector Augustus the Strong (1694-1733) and that of his son Augustus II (1733-63). It thus reflects the taste of that period.

The emphasis here is on Italian paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods with works by Giorgione, Titian, Botticelli, Parmigianino, and Veronese. Probably the most famous work on display is Raphael’s Sistine Madonna, featuring two adorable little angels also seen on postcards, kitsch trinkets, and wrapping paper all over town. Several large photograph-clear paintings of the Dresden panorama done by the famous Canaletto (Bernardo Bellotto) are prominently displayed.

The second main emphasis in the Gemäldegalerie is 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Jordaens, and Vermeer. The collection of German, French, and Spanish paintings is smaller but includes good examples by Dürer, Holbein, Cranach, Murillo, and Poussin. In most halls the paintings are displayed as intended by Semper in a double row with Bordeaux red backgrounds for Italian works, green for Dutch and German, and grey for Spanish and French works. Entrance to the museum is via the archway leading from the Semper.