The Alte Nationalgalerie ( ''Old National Gallery'') is a

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

on the

Museum Island The Museum Island (german: Museumsinsel) is a museum complex on the northern part of the Spree Island in the historic heart of Berlin. It is one of the most visited sights of Germany's capital and one of the most important museum sites in Europ ...

in the historic centre of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The gallery was built from 1862 to 1876 by the order of King

Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...

according to plans by

Friedrich August Stüler Friedrich August Stüler (28 January 1800 – 18 March 1865) was an influential Prussian architect and builder. His masterpiece is the Neues Museum in Berlin, as well as the dome of the triumphal arch of the main portal of the Berliner Schloss. ...

and

Johann Heinrich Strack Johann Heinrich Strack (6 July 1805, Bückeburg – 13 June 1880, Berlin) was a German architect of the '' Schinkelschule''. His notable works include the Berlin Victory Column. Life and work His father, , was a painter of portraits and vedut ...

in Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival styles. The building's outside stair features a memorial to Frederick William IV. Currently, the Alte Nationalgalerie is home to

paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

of the 19th century and hosts a variety of tourist buses daily. As part of the Museum Island complex, the gallery was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

in 1999 for its outstanding architecture and its testimony to the development of museums and galleries as a cultural phenomenon in the late 19th century.

History

Founding

The first impetus to founding a national gallery came in 1815. The idea gained momentum during the 1830s, but without an actual building. In 1841 the first real plans were created. These plans never made it out of the planning stages, but finally in 1861 the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...

was founded, after banker Johann Heinrich Wagener donated 262 paintings by both German and foreign artists. This donation formed the basis of the current collection. The collection was first known as ''Wagenersche und Nationalgalerie'' (Wagener and National Gallery) and was housed in the buildings of the

Akademie der Künste The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...

. The current building, shaped like a Roman

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

with an appended

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

, was designed by

and after his death, realised in detail under Carl Busse.

Building and related developments

began working on a design for the building in 1863, based on a sketch by King

.Claude Keisch, ''The Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin'', London: Scala / Munich: Beck, 2005,
p. 7
Two years and two failed plans later, his third proposal was finally accepted. Stüler died before planning was completed and Carl Busse handled the remaining details in 1865. In 1866, by order of the king and his

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

, the ''Kommission für den Bau der Nationalgalerie'' (Commission for the construction of the national gallery) was created. Ground was broken in 1867 under the supervision of

Heinrich Strack Johann Heinrich Strack (6 July 1805, Bückeburg – 13 June 1880, Berlin) was a German architect of the '' Schinkelschule''. His notable works include the Berlin Victory Column. Life and work His father, , was a painter of portraits and vedut ...

. In 1872 the structure was completed and interior work began. The opening took place on March 22, 1876, in the presence of the Kaiser. Because of the building's modern construction using brick and iron, it was widely believed to be fireproof. The exterior and outer staircase were constructed of

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

sandstone from Nebra. At the opening the collection was still relatively small. Next to Wagener's collection, originally, was a display of

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

s by

Peter von Cornelius Peter von Cornelius (23 September 1783, Düsseldorf – 6 March 1867, Berlin) was a German painter; one of the main representatives of the Nazarene movement. Life Early years Cornelius was born in Düsseldorf. From the age of twelve he attend ...

that had been bequeathed to the Prussian government. The initial objective of the gallery was to collect contemporary, primarily Prussian art, as Berlin did not then have any repository of modern art. In 1874 Max Jordan became the first director of the National Gallery. In 1896 he was succeeded by

Hugo von Tschudi Hugo von Tschudi (1851–1911) was an art historian and museum curator. He was director of the Nationalgalerie in Berlin (1896–1909) where he acquired many important Impressionist works. Tschudi was born in Austria and became a naturali ...

, who acquired

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

works, risking conflict with the Kaiser because this ended the collection's focus on German art. The German National Gallery thus became the most important museum for modern French Art at the turn of the century.

20th century

In 1909,

Ludwig Justi Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...

assumed the post of director, and added

Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

works to the collection. Following the

German Revolution of 1918–19 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

that ended Imperial rule, he moved the modern art to the

Kronprinzenpalais The Kronprinzenpalais (English: ''Crown Prince's Palace'') is a former Royal Prussian residence on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built in 1663 and renovated in 1857 according to plans by Heinrich Strack in Ne ...

at the end of

Unter den Linden Unter den Linden (, "under the linden trees") is a boulevard in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Running from the City Palace to Brandenburg Gate, it is named after the linden (lime in England and Ireland, not re ...

, which became known as ''National Gallery II''. In 1933, the new Nazi authorities dismissed Justi, who was followed by

Eberhard Hanfstaengl Eberhard is an old Germanic name meaning the strength or courage of a wild boar. People First name *Eberhard of Friuli (815–866), Duke and key figure in the Carolingian Empire *Eberhard of Béthune (died 1212), Flemish grammarian *Eberhard I, Du ...

. He remained until 1937, when he too was dismissed. His successor,

Paul Ortwin Rave Paul Ortwin Rave (10 July 1893, Elberfeld – 16 May 1962, Idar-Oberstein), was a German art historian and director of the Berlin National Gallery. Rave was the son of a pharmacist. From 1918, after participating in the First World War, he stud ...

, remained until 1950, although because of World War II the building was closed during much of that time. It was heavily damaged in Allied air raids. It was partly reopened in 1949, but reconstruction continued until 1969. Between 1998 and 2001, the museum was renovated thoroughly by German architect

HG Merz Hans Günter Merz, better known as HG Merz (born 1947 in Tailfingen) is a German architect and museum designer. He is the founder and director of ''hg merz architekten museumsgestalter'', an architecture office that specializes in museum and exhib ...

. Some extra halls were added on the uppermost floor and now contain the Romantic works. The three-year, $62 million renovation of the Alte Nationalgalerie was part of a refurbishment of

and the energetic effort by government and private institutions to re-establish Berlin as Germany's political and cultural heart.

Architecture

The Alte Nationalgalerie, together with the

Altes Museum The Altes Museum (English: ''Old Museum'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin. Built from 1825 to 1830 by order of King Frederick William III of Prussia according to plans by Karl Friedrich ...

, the

Neues Museum The Neues Museum (English: ''New Museum'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. Built from 1843 to 1855 by order of King Frederick William IV of Prussia in Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival styles, it ...

, the

Bode Museum The Bode-Museum (English: ''Bode Museum''), formerly called the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum (''Emperor Frederick Museum''), is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built from 1898 to 1904 by order of Germa ...

, the

Pergamon Museum The Pergamon Museum (; ) is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built from 1910 to 1930 by order of German Emperor Wilhelm II according to plans by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann in Stripped Class ...

, the

Berlin Cathedral The Berlin Cathedral (german: link=yes, Berliner Dom), also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church, is a monumental German Evangelical church and dynastic tomb (House of Hohenzollern) on the Museum Island in centra ...

and the

Lustgarten The ' () is a park on Museum Island in central Berlin, near the site of the former () of which it was originally a part. At various times in its history, the park has been used as a parade ground, a place for mass rallies and a public park. The ...

, make up the

complex in Berlin. It is situated in the middle of the island, between the rails of the

Berlin Stadtbahn The Berlin Stadtbahn ("city railway") is a major railway thoroughfare in the German capital Berlin, which runs through Berlin from east to west. It connects the eastern district of Friedrichshain with Charlottenburg in the west via 11 intermedia ...

and Bode Street on the eastern banks. It is connected to the Pergamon Museum to the north, and to the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum, and the Berlin Cathedral to the south. The building was designed by

with details by Carl Busse, in an architectural style that is a mix between late Classicism and early

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

, and realised by

. It was intended to express "the unity of art, nation, and history", and therefore has aspects reminiscent of a church (an apse) and a theatre (the grand staircase) as well as a temple. An equestrian statue of Frederick William IV tops the stairs, and the inside stairs have a frieze by

Otto Geyer Karl Ludwig Otto Geyer (8 January 1843, Charlottenburg - March 1914, Charlottenburg) was a German sculptor. His brother was the architect, . Life and work His father, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Geyer, was an Archdeacon in the Evangelical Church. ...

depicting German history from prehistoric times to the 19th century. The exterior of the building still retains its original appearance, whereas the interior has been renovated many times in order to suit the exhibits.

Collection

The collection contains works of the Neoclassical and Romantic movements (by artists such as

Caspar David Friedrich Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840) was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscape ...

Karl Friedrich Schinkel Karl Friedrich Schinkel (13 March 1781 – 9 October 1841) was a Prussian architect, city planner and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassica ...

, and

Karl Blechen Carl Eduard Ferdinand Blechen (29 July 1798, Cottbus – 23 July 1840, Berlin) was a German (his mother was a Sorb) landscape painter and a professor at the Academy of Arts, Berlin. His distinctive style was characteristic of the Romantic ideal ...

), of the

Biedermeier The ''Biedermeier'' period was an era in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848 during which the middle class grew in number and the arts appealed to common sensibilities. It began with the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in ...

, French

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

(such as

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Born ...

and

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...

) and early

Modernism Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

(including

Adolph von Menzel Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel (8 December 18159 February 1905) was a German Realist artist noted for drawings, etchings, and paintings. Along with Caspar David Friedrich, he is considered one of the two most prominent German painters of th ...

Max Liebermann Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...

and

Lovis Corinth Lovis Corinth (21 July 1858 – 17 July 1925) was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism. Corinth studied in Paris and Munich, joined the Berlin Se ...

). Among the most important exhibits are Friedrich's '' Der Mönch am Meer'' (The Monk by the Sea), von Menzel's ''Eisenwalzwerk'' (The Iron Rolling Mill) and sculptor

Johann Gottfried Schadow Johann Gottfried Schadow (20 May 1764 – 27 January 1850) was a German Prussian sculptor. His most iconic work is the chariot on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, executed in 1793 when he was still only 29. Biography Schadow was born i ...

's ''Prinzessinnengruppe'', a double statue of princesses

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie; 10 March 1776 – 19 July 1810) was Queen of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III. The couple's happy, though short-lived, marriage produced nine child ...

and Frederica of Prussia. The Alte Nationalgalerie houses one of the largest collections of 19th-century sculptures and paintings in Germany. In addition, it belongs to the

Berlin National Gallery The National Gallery (german: Nationalgalerie) in Berlin, Germany, is a museum for art of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. It is part of the Berlin State Museums. From the Alte Nationalgalerie, which was built for it and opened in 1876, its exh ...

, which in turn is part of the

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin The Berlin State Museums (german: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) are a group of institutions in Berlin, Germany, comprising seventeen museums in five clusters, several research institutes, libraries, and supporting facilities. They are overseen ...

. It is the original building of the National Gallery, whose holdings are now housed in several additional buildings. In October 2021 the Alte Nationalgalerie restituted the

Camille Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( , ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but t ...

painting, "A Square in La Roche-Guyon" (1867) to the heirs of

Armand Dorville Armand Dorville (1875–1941) was a French art collector and lawyer whose art collection was plundered during the Nazi occupation of France. Early years Armand Isaac Dorville was born in 1875 into a family belonging to the old Parisian bourgeois ...

, a French Jewish art collector whose family was persecuted by the Nazis and whose paintings had been sold at a 1942 auction in Nice that was overseen by the Commissariat Général aux Questions Juives. The museum then purchased the Pissarro back.

Gallery

File:Dahl Fjord b Holmestrand.JPG, ''Fjord at Holmestrand'',

Johan Christian Dahl Johan Christian Claussen Dahl (24 February 178814 October 1857), often known as or , was a Danish-Norwegian artist who is considered the first great romantic painter in Norway, the founder of the "golden age" of Norwegian painting, and, by some ...

, 1843 File:Josef Danhauser Liszt am Flügel 1840 01.jpg, ''Liszt at the Piano'',

Josef Danhauser Josef Danhauser (19 August 1805 in Laimgrube (now a part of Mariahilf or Neubau) – 4 May 1845) was an Austrian painter, one of the main artists of Biedermeier period, together with Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Peter Fendi, among others. His wor ...

, 1819 File:Caspar David Friedrich - Mondaufgang am Meer - Google Art Project.jpg, '' Moonrise at the Ocean'',

, 1822 File:1829 Hildebrandt Raeuber anagoria.JPG, ''The Robber'',

Theodor Hildebrandt Theodor Hildebrandt (2 July 1804, Stettin29 September 1874, Düsseldorf) was a German artist of the Düsseldorf school of painting who specialized in literary and historical subjects. He was also a noted entomologist. Biography He was a disci ...

, 1829 File:Theodor Hildebrandt Krieger u Kind.jpg, ''The Warrior and his Child'',

, 1832 File:Johann Erdmann Hummel Schachpartie.jpg, ''Chess Game'', Johann Erdmann Hummel, 1819 File:Charles Landseer Cromwell Battle of Naseby.JPG, ''Cromwell in

Battle of Naseby The Battle of Naseby took place on 14 June 1645 during the First English Civil War, near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. The Parliamentarian New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, destroyed the main R ...

'',

Charles Landseer Charles Landseer (12 August 1799 – 22 July 1879) was an English painter, mostly of historical subjects. Life He was born in London on 12 August 1799, the second son of the engraver John Landseer, and the elder brother of the animal painter ...

, 1851 File:Hussitenpredigt.jpg, ''

The Hussite Sermon ''The Hussite Sermon'' (German - ''Die Hussitenpredigt'') is a painting by the Düsseldorf-based painter Carl Friedrich Lessing, showing an open-air sermon being delivered by a Hussite preacher in the 15th century. It is now in the Alte National ...

'',

Karl Friedrich Lessing Karl Friedrich Lessing (15 February 1808, Breslau – 4 January 1880, Karlsruhe) was a German historical and landscape painter, grandnephew of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and one of the main exponents of the Düsseldorf school of painting. Biograp ...

, 1836 File:1836 Heimkehr des Palikaren anagoria.JPG, ''Return of the Palikar'',

Eduard Magnus Eduard Magnus (January 7, 1799 – August 8, 1872) was a Germans, German Painting, painter, primarily known for portraits. Biography Magnus was born in Berlin as the third son of Johann Matthias Magnus, the founder of the Prussian Magnus-Bank. ...

, 1836 File:Adolph Menzel - Flötenkonzert Friedrichs des Großen in Sanssouci - Google Art Project.jpg, '' The Flute Concert'',

, 1852 File:Adolph Menzel - Eisenwalzwerk - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Eisenwalzwerk'' (The Iron Rolling Mill (Modern Cyclopes)),

, 1875 File:1865 Steffeck Rechtsanwalt Ernst Lau anagoria.JPG, ''Portrait of the Advocate Ernst Lau'',

Carl Steffeck Carl Constantin Heinrich Steffeck (4 April 1818, Berlin – 11 July 1890, Königsberg) was a German painter and graphic artist. He was especially well known for his paintings of horses and dogs. Life He was the son of a "gentleman of independ ...

, 1865 File:1804 Wächter Telemachs Rückkehr anagoria.JPG, ''Telemachus' Return'', Eberhard von Wächter, 1804 File:Anton von Werner - Im Etappenquartier vor Paris - Google Art Project.jpg, ''In the Troops' Quarters outside Paris'',

Anton von Werner Anton Alexander von Werner (9 May 18434 January 1915) was a German painter known for his history paintings of notable political and military events in the Kingdom of Prussia.Fulbrook, Mary and John Breuilly (1997) ''German History Since 1800'' ...

, 1894

References

* ''This article is based on a translation of the German Wikipedia article

Alte Nationalgalerie The Alte Nationalgalerie ( ''Old National Gallery'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin, Germany. The gallery was built from 1862 to 1876 by the order of King Frederick William IV of Prussi ...

.''

External links

Alte Nationalgalerie

Online collections databaseSome paintings from museum collection
* {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Berlin Museum Island Art museums established in 1861 1861 establishments in Prussia Berlin State Museums

History

Founding

Building and related developments

20th century

Architecture

Collection

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links