Neue Pinakothek, Art museum in Maxvorstadt, Munich, Germany.
The Neue Pinakothek is an art museum in Munich's Kunstareal. The current building, designed by Alexander von Branca in a Postmodern style, opened in 1981 and combines concrete construction with a stone facade. Inside, light blue-violet walls and brown wooden parquet floors lead through 22 halls and ten cabinets, where over 400 paintings and 50 sculptures from the 18th to early 20th centuries are shown.
Founded in 1853 by King Ludwig I to collect and display European artworks, the institution reflects his vision for art in Bavaria. The original structure was destroyed during World War II, and the current building reopened in 1981 with a contemporary design.
The museum's name comes from the Greek pinakotheke, meaning a picture store. Its founding collection reflected Ludwig I's taste for German Romanticism and the Munich School, while the Tschudi Contribution brought French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Since 2019 the building has been closed, and selected works are shown in the east wing of the Alte Pinakothek and in the Sammlung Schack.
The museum is currently closed for renovations until 2029, but selected artworks are displayed at partner locations including the Alte Pinakothek. Online access to around 25,000 artworks allows virtual exploration of the collection during the closure period.
The museum owns five paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, more than any other European museum outside the British Isles. Its Impressionist holdings trace back to Hugo von Tschudi, dismissed by Kaiser Wilhelm II for showing Gauguin in Berlin; after Tschudi's death in 1911, private donors funded 44 paintings, nine sculptures and 22 drawings for Munich.
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