Aerial image of the Academy of Fine Arts Munich

The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the

Maxvorstadt Maxvorstadt (Central Bavarian: ''Maxvorstod'') is a central borough of Munich, Bavaria, Germany and forms the Stadtbezirk (borough) 3 Maxvorstadt. Since 1992, this borough comprises the former boroughs 5, 6 and 7 (Maxvorstadt-Universität, Maxvor ...

district of

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, Germany. In the second half of the 19th century, the academy became one of the most important institutions in Europe for training artists and attracted students from across Europe and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

History

The history of the academy goes back to 1770 with the founding by Elector Maximilian III. Joseph, of a "drawing school", the "Zeichnungs Schule respective Maler und Bildhauer Academie". In 1808, under King

Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria Maximilian I Joseph (; 27 May 1756 – 13 October 1825) was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1795 to 1799, prince-elector of Bavaria (as Maximilian IV Joseph) from 1799 to 1806, then King of Bavaria (as Maximilian I Joseph) from 1806 to 1825. He was ...

, it became the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. The curriculum focused was on painting, graphics, sculpture and architecture."Akademie der Bildenden Künste", Landeshauptstadt München
/ref> The Munich School refers to a group of painters who worked in Munich or were trained at the Academy between 1850 and 1918. The paintings are characterized by a naturalistic style and dark

chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

. Typical painting subjects included landscape, portraits, genre, still-life, and history. Karl von Piloty, the foremost representative of the realistic school in Germany, became director in 1874. From 1900 to 1918 the academy's director was Ferdinand Freiherr von Miller. During the Second World War, Hitler replaced the academy’s “non-Aryan” professors with Nazi artists. In 1946, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts was merged with the School of

arts and crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

and the School of

applied arts The applied arts are all the arts that apply design and decoration to everyday and essentially practical objects in order to make them aesthetically pleasing."Applied art" in ''The Oxford Dictionary of Art''. Online edition. Oxford Univ ...

. In 1953, its name was changed to the current Academy of Fine Arts.

Buildings

The large 19th-century Renaissance Revival style building complex, designed by Gottfried Neureuther, was completed in 1886. It has housed the Academy since then. A new Deconstructivist style expansion, designed by the architectural firm

Coop Himmelb(l)au Coop Himmelb(l)au (a pun meaning '' Coop Sky Building'' and ''Coop Sky Blue'') is an architecture, urban planning, design and art firm founded in 1968 by Wolf D. Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky and Michael Holzer in Vienna, Austria. History Coop Hi ...

as an extension from the original building, was completed in 2005. The ''AkademieGalerie'' (''gallery of the academy'') is located at the nearby subway station ''Universität''. Since 1989 students could show artworks especially created for this location.

Study

The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of fine arts, art education, interior architecture, and related disciplines. The institution emphasizes a class-based teaching model, where students are assigned to specific classes led by professors, each representing distinct artistic approaches. This structure is complemented by interdisciplinary seminars, lectures, and access to specialized workshops.

Undergraduate Programs

* Fine Arts (Diploma): This program encompasses various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, graphic arts, media art, performance, jewelry and hollowware, scenography, and stage costume design. Students are assigned to one of approximately 25 classes, each led by a professor with a unique artistic focus. * Art Education (State Examination): Designed for those intending to teach art at the secondary school level, this program combines practical artistic training with pedagogical studies. * Interior Architecture (Bachelor of Arts): A three-year program focusing on the design and conceptualization of interior spaces, integrating artistic and technical aspects.

Graduate Programs

* Interior Architecture (Master of Arts): A two-year consecutive program that builds upon the bachelor's degree, emphasizing advanced design concepts and research in interior architecture. * Architecture and Art (Master of Arts): This program explores the intersection of architectural design and artistic expression, fostering interdisciplinary approaches. * Fine Arts and Therapy (Master of Arts): Combining artistic practice with therapeutic methodologies, this program prepares students for careers in art therapy.

Teaching

The study at the Academy is organized in class associations. Overall, the Academy accommodates twenty-three classes, led by professors, who each stand for an individual approach to contemporary fine art. These classes are complemented by twenty study workshops and a library, as well as seminars and lectures in art science, philosophy and didactics. The following study programs are offered: * Free Art (Diploma) * Art Education (State Examination and Master Degree) * Interior Architecture (Bachelor and Master Degree) * Architecture (Master Degree) * Art Therapy (Master Degree)

Admission

Admission to the Academy's programs typically requires the submission of a portfolio demonstrating artistic aptitude. Successful applicants are invited to participate in practical and oral examinations. Proficiency in the German language is generally expected, as most courses are taught in German.

People

Notable professors

Lawrence Alma-Tadema Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema ( ; born Lourens Alma Tadema, ; 8 January 1836 – 25 June 1912) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter who later settled in the United Kingdom, becoming the last officially recognised Denization, denizen in 1873. Born in ...

* Hermann Anschütz *

Anton Ažbe Anton Ažbe (30 May 1862 – 5 or 6 August 1905) was a Slovene realist painter and teacher of painting. Ažbe, crippled since birth and orphaned at the age of eight, learned painting as an apprentice to Janez Wolf and at the Academies in Vienn ...

(1884–1885) * Nikolaus Gysis * Peter von Cornelius * Res Ingold *

Max Klinger Max Klinger (18 February 1857 – 5 July 1920) was a German artist who produced significant work in painting, sculpture, prints and graphics, as well as writing a treatise articulating his ideas on art and the role of graphic arts and printmakin ...

* Franz von Lenbach * Walter Maurer (1990–2000) * Robin Page (1981–1998) * Eduardo Paolozzi (1981–1989) * Sean Scully * Jacob Ungerer (1890–1920) * Arthur von Ramberg * Gerd Winner (born 1936) * *

Hito Steyerl Hito Steyerl (born 1 January 1966) is a German filmmaker, moving image visual artist, artist, writer, and innovator of the essay documentary.Josef Albers Josef Albers ( , , ; March 19, 1888March 25, 1976) was a German-born American artist and Visual arts education, educator who is considered one of the most influential 20th-century art teachers in the United States. Born in 1888 in Bottrop, Westp ...

(1919–1920) * Mainbocher * Franz Ackermann (1984–1988) * Erwin Aichele * Henry Alexander * Cuno Amiet (1886–1888) * Henry Baerer (1837-1908) * Octav Băncilă * Vladimir Becić * René Beeh * Ignat Bednarik * Claus Bergen * Robert Julius Beyschlag * Friedrich Brugger * Harry Chase * William Merritt Chase * Giorgio de Chirico * Albert Chmielowski * Susanne Clausen * Lovis Corinth (1880–1884) * William Jacob Baer (1880–1884) * Menci Clement Crnčić * Thomas Demand * Samuel Friedrich Diez * Edgar Downs (1876–1963; silver medallist) * Frank Duveneck * Alex Dzigurski (1911–1995) *

Valentin Peter Feuerstein Valentin Peter Feuerstein (1917–1999), also known as Peter Valentin Feuerstein, was a German painter and stained-glass artist who created windows for major churches in Germany, including the Ulmer Münster, the Freiburger Münster and the Üb ...

(1917–1999) * Lothar Fischer (1952–1958) * Günther Förg * Wilhelm Heinrich Funk (born 1866), (an American portrait painter) * Oskar Garvens (1874–1951) * Karl Gatermann the Younger * Herbjørn Gausta * Dimitrios Geraniotis (1871–1966), Greek portrait painter * Aleksander Gierymski (1846–1874) * Maksymilian Gierymski (1850–1901) * Louis Grell (1887–1960) * Rita Grosse-Ruyken (1971–1977) * Nicholaos Gysis (1842–1901) * Karl Michael Haider (1846–1912) * Herman Hartwich (1853–1926) * Hermann Helmer * Oskar Herman * Louis Christian Hess * Peter von Hess * Hallgrímur Helgason (born 1959) * Friedrich Hohe (1802–1870) * Elmyr de Hory (1906–1976) * Jörg Immendorff (1984–1985) * Đorđe Jovanović (sculptor) *

Wassily Kandinsky Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky ( – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist. Kandinsky is generally credited as one of the pioneers of abstract art, abstraction in western art. Born in Moscow, he spent his childhood in ...

(1866–1944) * Robert Koehler (1873–1875; 1879-1886 bronze and silver medalist) * Elisaveta Konsulova-Vazova (1881–1965) * Alfred Kowalski * Miroslav Kraljević * Alfred Kubin (1899) *

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

(1900) * Wilhelm Leibl * Maximilian Liebenwein (1869—1926) * Richard Lindner (1925–1927) * Melissa Logan * Ştefan Luchian * Mahirwan Mamtani (1935) * Franz Marc (1900–1903) *

Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...

* Dieter Mathoi (1963–1967) * János Mattis-Teutsch * Mato Celestin Medović (1890–1893) * Vadim Meller * Josef Moroder-Lusenberg (1876–1880) *

Alphonse Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. Living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, he was widely known for his distinctly stylized ...

* Otto Mueller * John Mulvany (1839–1906) * Adolfo Müller-Ury (1881–82) *

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...

* Alex Murray-Leslie * Hubert Netzer (1865–1939) * Elisabet Ney (1981–1989) * (1850–1919) *

Charles Henry Niehaus Charles Henry Niehaus (January 24, 1855 – June 19, 1935) was an American sculptor. Early life and education Niehaus was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to German parents. He began working as a marble and wood carver, and then gained entrance to the ...

(1855–1935) * Thomas Satterwhite Noble (1881–83) * Markus Oehlen (2002–) * Paul Ondrusch * Ernst Oppler * Fritz Osswald * Ulrike Ottinger (born 1942) *

Bruno Paul Bruno Paul (19 January 1874 – 17 August 1968) was a German architect, illustrator, interior designer, and furniture designer. Trained as a painter in the royal academy just as the Munich Secession developed against academic art, he first ca ...

* Carl Theodor von Piloty * Edward Henry Potthast * Otto Quante (1875–1947) * Josip Račić (1905–1908) * Robert Hermann Raudner (1854–1915) * Richard Riemerschmid (1888–1890) * Léo-Paul Robert (1869) * Franz Roubaud * Anna May-Rychter (1864–1955) * Sep Ruf *

Heinrich Schlitt Heinrich Schlitt (August 21, 1849 – November 13, 1923) was a German painter and illustrator, known for his fantasy motifs that feature gnomes, Dwarf (folklore), dwarves, and Fairy, faeries. He was one of the in-house artists at the Villeroy & Boc ...

* Karl Saltzmann (1896– ) *

Barbara Seidenath Barbara Seidenath (born 1960) is a German Americans, German-born American Jewellery design, jewelry designer, metalsmith, and educator. Biography Barbara Seidenath was born in 1960 in Bavaria, near Munich, Germany. Her father worked in forestry ...

(born 1960), metalsmith, jeweler. * Günther Schneider-Siemssen (1926–2015), scenic designer * Walter Shirlaw * Edith Soterius von Sachsenheim (1887–1970) * Karina Smigla-Bobinski * Emil Span * T. C. Steele * Vardges Sureniants (1860–1921) *

Johann Gottfried Steffan Johann Gottfried Steffan (December 13, 1815 – June 16, 1905) was a Swiss landscape artist,Franz Zelger. Steffan, Johann Gottfried. '' Grove Art Online'' (Oxford University Press; 2003) regarded as one of the most important Swiss landscapists ...

Franz von Stuck Franz Ritter von Stuck (February 23, 1863 – August 30, 1928), born Franz Stuck, was a German painter, sculptor, printmaker, and architect. Stuck was best known for his paintings of ancient mythology, receiving substantial critical acclaim with ...

Nicolae Tonitza Nicolae Tonitza (; April 13, 1886 – February 27, 1940) was a Romanian painter, Engraving, engraver, Lithography, lithographer, journalist and art critic. Drawing inspiration from Post-Impressionism and Expressionism, he had a major role in ...

* Axel Törneman (1880–1925) * John Henry Twachtman * Petar Ubavkić (1852–1910) * Spyridon Vikatos (1878–1960) * Robert Voit (born 1969) * Lascăr Vorel * Alexander von Wagner (1869–1910) * Henrik Weber (1818–1866) * Sybilla Mittell Weber (1892–1957) * Barbara Zeigler, * Hans-Peter Zimmer * Tadeusz Zukotynski (1877–1912)

References

External links

* {{coord, 48, 09, 11, N, 11, 34, 49, E, region:DE-BY_type:landmark, display=title Universities and colleges in Munich Maxvorstadt Culture in Munich Tourist attractions in Munich Educational institutions established in 1808 1808 establishments in Bavaria School buildings completed in 1886 Buildings and structures completed in 2005 Deconstructivism Coop Himmelblau Historicist architecture in Munich Renaissance Revival architecture in Germany