Old Masters Picture Gallery, Dresden (must see)

Augustus, Elector of Saxony, first founded an Art Chamber in 1560. During the 18th century, Augustus the Strong and his heir Frederick Augustus II made significant additions. In 1754, Electors added Raphael’s Sistine Madonna to the collection. The growing collection moved to the Semper Gallery in 1855.

The paintings were stored during World War II and then confiscated by the Red Army. The surviving paintings were returned to Dresden in 1955, and the Old Masters Gallery re-opened in 1960.

The Old Masters Picture Gallery underwent a 50 million dollar renovation completed in 2020. Classic paintings are now displayed amongst the museum's impressive sculpture collection.

Seven hundred paintings were rehung among 420 sculptures. Visitors can see priceless paintings by Rembrandt, Titian, and Raphael. Popular artworks include Vermeer’s Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, Rembrandt’s Ganymede, and Titian’s Zinsgroschen.

Artworks are now hung on vibrant walls and grouped by region and time period. For example, Italian works are hung on crimson walls, while French and Spanish works are featured on blue walls.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Ingersoll.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Dresden. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Old Masters Picture Gallery
Sight Location: Dresden, Germany (See walking tours in Dresden)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Dresden Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Dresden, Germany

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