Alte and Neue Pinakothek Munich Director's Choice

•A stunning guide to Munich's premier art galleries, told from the uniquely knowledgeable perspective of their Director•Features one of the most important collections of Old Masters in the world•Beautifully illustrated, replete with colorThe Alte and the Neue Pinakothek in Munich rank among the great galleries of the world. Their comprehensive collections trace the development of art across history: from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the rise of Romanticism, Realism and Impressionism, all the way up to the birth of Modernism.The Neoclassical design of the Alte Pinakothek by Leo von Klenze (1836) had a seminal influence on museum architecture in Europe. It provides a wonderful setting for the works of the Old Masters housed within. After the second museum building (completed in 1853) was destroyed during the Second World War, the architect Alexander von Branca created today's Neue Pinakothek (1981). Its formal expression, in the idiom of a medieval fortress, and impressive exhibition galleries have made it a classic of Postmodernism. In this book, the author offers a refreshingly personal perspective on an eclectic selection of memorable works.

Bernhard Maaz has been the Director of the Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) since 2015. Previously he was the Director of the Old Masters Picture Gallery and the Cabinet of Prints, Drawings and Photographs of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and was head of the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin until 2010. He is the author of numerous publications on art from the Middle Ages to the present day.