Municipal Gallery in the Lenbachhaus
Early Expressionism of Wassily Kandinsky and the “Blue Rider”
Most famous for its collection of early Expressionism, the Lenbachaus is a must for everyone who admires the works of Wassily Kandinsky and his friends and colleagues Alexei Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, Gabriele Münter, Franz Marc or Paul Klee. The group became known under the name of the “Blue Rider” (“Der Blaue Reiter”) and had great influence on the development of abstract painting and on fine art as a whole. Explore Munich’s art scene around 1900 on this guided tour.
Old Pinakothek
The discovery of genius
There are three world famous galleries of fine art in Munich known under the name “Pinakotheken”. They are the heart of Munich’s museum quarter. One of them, the Old Pinakothek, houses one of the world’s best and largest collections of paintings from the late Middle Ages to the late 18th century. The museum tour will pick out masterpieces for example by Dürer, da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens and van Dyck, without neglecting the historical backgrounds and stories about the respective paintings. Special attention will be paid to the new image of man around 1500 and the changes in art that resulted from it.
New Pinakothek
Light and colour of the 19th century
Where the collection of the Old Pinakothek ends in art history, the New Pinakothek continues. Opened 150 years ago by King Ludwig I, the collection covers the whole variety of 19th century fine art like German Romanticism and Classicism. The charming and humorous works of Carl Spitzweg enjoy great fame in local art history. Like other romantic works they help to understand what makes the German desire and passion of the 19th century painted on canvas so typical. The highlight of our guided tour will be the French Impressionists and works of Vincent van Gogh, Monet, Manet and Degas.
Modern Pinakothek
Contemporary fine art, architecture, graphic arts and design
The latest Pinakothek in chronological order is the “Pinakothek der Moderne”, inaugurated in 2002. From the Expressionists to Pop Art and Video Installations: Munich’s third and latest Pinakothek is a museum dedicated to fine art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Outstanding names like Kirchner, Picasso, Warhol, Magritte and Beckmann became a synonym for this collection presented in a building of transparent and venturous architecture. The building houses three more museums, e.g. the Museum for Modern Industrial Design, and thus has become a cultural centre of modernity.
Collections of Antiques
The beauty of Greek and Roman sculptures
In the early 19th century King Ludwig’s I enthusiasm for ancient Greek history and culture brought masterpieces of Greek sculptures as well as red-figured and black-figured vases of the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. to Munich. Today two famous museums at Königsplatz present this outstanding collection that counts among the most precious of its kind in Europe. Our guided tour will point out highlights like the Barbarini Faun, the best among the 160 statues presented. Created 2.300 years ago, the Barbarini Faun and its exciting history still catch the viewer’s excitement.
Bavarian National Museum
A fascinating journey through art history
Nearly 2.000 years of South German arts and crafts are presented in the historical halls of the Bavarian National Museum. Carvings by Tilman Riemenschneider and porcelain figures by Bustelli are but two examples for the impressive variety of the exhibits. The tour will point out the highlights of the treasury and invite you to an exciting journey through art history from antique ivory carvings to chinaware in Napoleonic style.
German Technology Museum
Olympus of knowledge
Sailing ships, atomic models, windmills, space probes, diesel locomotives, industrial robots, lifeboats, a whole mine – the German Technology Museum is a house of superlatives in technical achievement. Founded over 100 years ago by Oskar von Miller, it is not only one of the first museums worldwide to be entirely dedicated to science and technology, but also one of the most visited and the largest of all. Our guided tour will give you an entertaining overview of this Olymp of knowledge.
Collection Brandhorst
Munich’s new museum for contemporary fine art
In summer 2009 Munich’s already impressive museum quarter was enriched by yet another attraction, the excitingly colourful architecture by Sauerbruch & Hutton, a large-scale museum that is home to numerous masterpieces of modern and contemporary fine art. Paintings and installations by Cy Twombley, Sigmar Polke, Bruce Nauman and Andy Warhol make this private collection of modern art one of the best and most highly regarded of its kind. An ideal addition to a visit of the Pinakothek der Moderne right opposite the building.