Current information: Closure of the Neue Pinakothek
Dear visitors,
The Neue Pinakothek is currently under renovation. Therefore, the museum is currently closed. The reopening is planned for 2029. During this time, a selection of main works of 19th century art will be on display on the ground floor of the Alte Pinakothek (east wing) and in the Schack Collection.
You can find out more about the selection of works on our website.
For the latest information on the renovation of the Neue Pinakothek, please visit the website of the Staatliches Bauamt.
Currently on view at the Alte Pinakothek: NEW ACQUISITION OF A WORK BY THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH for the Neue Pinakothek
PINAKOTHEK-VEREIN ACQUIRES IMPORTANT PORTRAIT BY THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH FOR THE NEUE PINAKOTHEK
Room III, Ground floor, Alte Pinakothek
The Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen possess one of the most important collections of British painting on the European continent. Since 1978, the portrait of Mrs. Sophia Hibbert by Thomas Gainsborough has been on loan to the Neue Pinakothek from the Pinakotheks-Verein. The Pinakotheks-Verein has now also succeeded in acquiring the male counterpart, the portrait of Mr. Thomas Hibbert. Both portraits were painted in the mid-1780s and are major works of Gainsborough's late portrait painting. The two paintings were separated for nearly 140 years. That the pair of paintings can now be reunited is an extremely rare stroke of luck.
Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) is one of the most brilliant names in 18th century European painting. Along with William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds, he was one of the first English artists to achieve international recognition. He owed his fame mainly to portrait painting. His portraits convey the impression of great naturalness and closeness to reality, while at the same time radiating elegance and nobility.
Since its founding in 1953, the Pinakotheks-Verein has supported the Alte and Neue Pinakothek by purchasing important works of art. In addition to the association itself, several donors from the board of trustees as well as from the circle of patrons and members contributed to the acquisition of the portrait by Thomas Gainsborough, as did the Rudolf August Oetker-Stiftung and the Stiftung Dr. Helmut Röschinger.
Neue Pinakothek
“Rediscover the 19th Century” is the motto of the Neue Pinakothek. A richly varied tour provides an opportunity to view paintings and sculptures of the Neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist, Art Nouveau and Gründerzeit periods and to encounter masterpieces by major pioneers of Modern art: Max Liebermann, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. Regularly presented thematic exhibitions and accompanying events, such as concerts and readings in the Neue Pinakothek, expand and deepen this spectrum. The original edifice of the Neue Pinakothek was built from 1846-53 at the behest of Ludwig I, King of Bavaria, to house his collection of contemporary art of the time, which was intended to be the most important of its kind in Germany. Accessible to the general public from the outset, the Neue Pinakothek was thus the first museum in the world devoted to the permanent presentation of works by contemporary artists. After its complete destruction during the Second World War, the architect Alexander von Branca was entrusted with the design of the current building, which opened its doors in 1981.
Directions
Neue Pinakothek
Barer Straße 29
Entrance Theresienstraße
80333 München
You can reach the Neue Pinakothek by
Tram
No 27 to Pinakotheken
Underground (U-Bahn)
U2: to Königsplatz or Theresienstrasse
U3 | U6 to Odeonsplatz or Universität
U4 | U5 to Odeonsplatz
Bus
No 154 to Schellingstraße
No 100 (Museumslinie/ museum line): to Pinakotheken
No 100 (Museumslinie/ museum line): to Maxvorstadt / Sammlung Brandhorst
We recommend the use of public transportation. Parking is not available.
Take a closer look at our map (PDF, 178 KB) to get a better overview.
Your way through the Neue Pinakothek (PDF).
Online Collection
With its Online Collection, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) is making its entire holdings accessible to the public: that’s 25,000 artworks in Bavaria, Germany and Europe viewable on a single platform! It is possible to have an overview not only of all the artworks on display in the Munich galleries – the Alte and Neue Pinakothek, the Sammlung Moderne Kunst in the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Museum Brandhorst and the Sammlung Schack – and in the other state galleries of Bavaria (several thousand works in total), but also of works in the museum storerooms (17,000 works) and more than 4000 works on permanent loan from the Munich collections to over 400 sites, some belonging to institutions which are only partly open to the public.
Every artwork is documented with a photograph, basic information (catalogue/accession number, artist, title, support, size, provenance), and details of its location. The relevant specialist area is also given, to assist with classification.
Architecture
Today’s Neue Pinakothek opened its doors in 1981 and replaces the previous building dating back to 1853 that was destroyed in the Second World War. Ludwig I. had commissioned the construction, which was designed by Friedrich Gärtner und August Voit and to stand on the site opposite the Alte Pinakothek, as a gallery for his collection of contemporary painting. His vision was to facilitate a dialogue between the art of his day and the Old Masters, who were seen as role models. Whereas Leo von Klenze’s Alte Pinakothek was rebuilt by Hans Döllgast after the Second World War, the ruins of the Neue Pinakothek were demolished and replaced by a modern, new building in accordance with the plans of Alexander von Branca, which incorporated not only the gallery of the Neue Pinakothek but also the administration of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen and the Doerner Institute. The exterior of Branca’s Neue Pinakothek was sometimes criticized because of the striking references to historical form and style elements. However, the interior is undisputedly regarded as one of the best museum buildings of the post-war period in Germany thanks to the richly varied sequence of outstandingly well lit rooms oriented to meet the requirements of the works on display.
House Rules
Dear visitors,
in order to ensure security in our museums, we ask for your support:
- Please hand in all items you are carrying, such as bags (of any size) and coats, at the cloakroom or deposit them in our lockers.
- Clothing, bags, or items that may be carried for special personal reasons as decided by the supervisory staff on a case-by-case basis will be inspected for their contents and then marked as checked with a wristband.
We regret the inconvenience this may cause and ask for your understanding in the interest of protecting the artworks and buildings.
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Maaz
General Director Bavarian State Painting Collections
We kindly ask you consider the house rules (PDF), cloakroom rules (PDF) and terms & conditions (PDF) that apply in all our museums. Thank you very much!