Alte Pinakothek

Alte Pinakothek, fine art museum in Munich noted for its collection of paintings by 14th- to 18th-century European masters. It is one of several institutions that constitute the Bavarian State Picture Galleries (Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen).

(Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on art appreciation.)

The collection of the Alte Pinakothek originated in the 1500s in the private collection of the Wittelsbach family. The museum now boasts one of Europe’s oldest and most magnificent painting collections. The museum, founded by the avid art collector and Bavarian king Ludwig I, opened in 1836 and soon became a widely imitated model throughout Europe for housing and displaying art. The museum closed in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II, and its collection was removed as a safeguard. The building was severely damaged during the war and remained closed until its restoration was finished in 1957. Much of the collection is drawn from the personal galleries of various Bavarian royals and from defunct monasteries. With only some 700 pieces, the collection is small. It nonetheless contains many major works from Old Masters across the continent, including Dutch, Flemish, German, Italian, French, and Spanish pieces by artists such as Michael Pacher, Albrecht Altdorfer, Albrecht Dürer, Raphael, Diego Velázquez, and Peter Paul Rubens. The museum’s comprehensive holdings trace the history of painting from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.

(Read Glenn Lowry’s Britannica essay on "Art Museums & Their Digital Future.")

The Alte Pinakothek consists of two floors, including several main galleries and dozens of small rooms.