Neue Pinakothek, Munich

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This museum is only one of three great painting museums located in the same area: Neue Pinakothek, Alte Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne. This one is off the Alte Pinakothek.

If you like painting, specially this interesting period: XIXth century, this is undoubtedly your place!. This modern shaped building encloses a hughe and magnificent collection of european painting from classicism to art noveau, probably one of the best in the world. A delight for your art senses. Here you find galleries of english, french, dutch, spanish, italian, german, etc. paintings.

And at the entrance, if you're hungry, it has an small cafe with a courtyard where you can have lunch. Dishes are original, some eclectic but good and price is good too. The only but...in summertime it's difficult to find conditioned air at Munich and here it's not an exception. If you can, try to have lunch outwards, in the courtyard.

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Before the Alte Pinakothek was completed (1846) Ludwig II determined that his country needed a vibrant set of artists working in the present and the future. So he ordered the Neue Pinakothek to be built across the way (finished in 1853) to exhibit their works. As history shows, this stimulus encouraged competent painters (whose works are of interest to professionals) but no great artistic breakthroughs. When you visit the galleries you should glance at them, but your attention should be directed to the first two or three numbered rooms, the exhibition area and then quickly head for Room 18 and above where 40% of the collection is devoted to superb Impressionists, the Secessionists and others. (Modern begins after WWI and is elsewhere). The dividing line between the two museums is about 1800. WWII devastated the building but not the works inside. This is a new one completed in 1980. (It is the largest new art museum in Germany and houses over 600 paintings and sculptures).

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Right across the street from the Old Pinakothek is the new one, which is devoted to paintings from the nineteenth century. The museum was founded in 1853 by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who had it built to house his privately financed collection of works by (then) contemporary artists.

The current building was opened in 1981. Since they have greatly expanded their collections in recent years, they claim that the Neue Pinakothek "is now the most important museum of art of the nineteenth century in the world." (Hmm..., I would have picked the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Orsay has a much nicer building, in any case.)

When I went to the Neue Pinakothek in November 2006 over half the rooms were closed for renovation, including the popular impressionist collections, so they were only charging 2 Euros for a look at the rest, instead of the usual 5.50 Euros.

Sunday admission is only 1 Euro, by the way. (Used to be free until about two years ago.)

They are open daily except Tuesdays from 10.00 - 17.00, Wednesdays from 10.00 - 20.00. Closed on Tuesdays and on May 1st (which is a holiday in Germany), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

Second, third and fourth photos: Nineteenth century paintings in the Neue Pinakothek.

The Neue Pinakothek has a glorious collection especially of impressionist paintings. It also owns one of the several sunflower paintings by Van Gogh. This is an incredible work of art: Through the artist's well known peculiar way to apply a lot of paint, the flowers look totally real, like dried ones behind glass.

Especially if your visiting time is limited I'd suggest doing the round tour anticyclically so that you get to the impressionists first.

Wheelchair acess, with many ramps inside the building. Very good cafeteria.

We never had time to visit it, but here you will find the continuation of the Alte Pinakothek, with 18th to 20th century paintings, mainly German, but also Goya, David and Gainsborough. Finally, also works by French impressionists such as Manet.

Right across the lawn and a small street from the Alte Pinakothek, is the Neue Pinakothek, the more modern museum that houses an impressive collection of 18th and 19th century European art. The museum, which was also founded by King Ludwig I, picks up where the Alte leaves off (the Old Picture Gallery) containing art from the 14th through the 18th centuries). The museum features art of various styles from the classicism of the 18th c. to art nouveau of the 19th.

It's open daily except Tuesdays, 10 am to 5 pm and on Wednesdays, 10 am to 8 pm.

The Neue Pinakothek houses mostly European paintings from the late 18th to early 20th Century. Highlights include works by Gustav Klimt and Vincent Van Gogh, although I prefer the brighter version of Sunflowers in London's National Gallery. The original building, built in 1853, was badly damaged in 1944 and razed in 1949. The current museum was completed in 1981, made from sandstone and granite. Worth a visit if you like modern European art...take advantage of free Sunday admission!

The Neue Pinakothekýs original building, dating back to the year 1853, went destroyed during World War II, and so a new, sandstone one, was constructed in 1970s. The gallery offers one of the most wide-ranging collections of 19th-century art in Germany, made up of paintings and sculptures. Among the artists featured there are Francisco Joseý de Goya, Caspar David Friedrich and Edouard Manet.

I think this is really a place to go, if you're interested in art and nice pictures. I myself am very interested in art and I even was able to spend two hours in this museum!

There's a big museum shop with all sorts of souvenires, colorprints and much more. So for everybody with a heart for art the place to be.

You aren't allowed to carry handbags etc. with you, but there are lockers.

You can't afford to miss the Neue´(new) Phinakothek , which I personally find much more interesting nad comprehensive than the Alte (old) Phinatothek..but then, decide yourself wheter you prefer ancient and modern or contemporary art.