Alte Nationalgalerie
Encyclopedia
The Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) in Berlin
is a gallery showing a collection of Classical
, Romantic
, Biedermeier
, Impressionist
and early Modernist
artwork, all of which belong to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. The museum is situated on Museum Island
, a UNESCO
-designated World Heritage Site
.
. The current building, shaped like a Roman temple with an appended apse
was planned by
Friedrich August Stüler
started in 1863, following a sketch by King Frederick William IV of Prussia
to plan the building. 2 years, and 2 failed plans later, his third proposal was finally accepted. Stüler died before the building was finished and Carl Busse handled the remaining details. in 1866 after the Kaiser's cabinet meeting the Kommission für den Bau der Nationalgalerie (Commission for the construction of the national gallery) was created. They broke ground in 1867 overseen by Johann Heinrich Strack
d. Ä. The frame was completed in 1872 and the interior work began. The building was first opened on March 22, 1876 in the presence of the Kaiser.
Because of the building's modern design with brick and iron, it was widely believed to be fireproof. The exterior and outer staircase were constructed from Nebra sandstone (Trias). At the opening the collection was still relatively small. Next to Wagener's collection, originally, was a display of Cartons from Peter von Cornelius
left behind by the Prussia government. The goal became to collect early Prussian art, as Berlin at the time had no other museums with such collections.
air raids. It was partly reopened in 1949, but reconstruction continued until 1969. Between 1998 and 2001, the museum was renovated thoroughly. Some extra halls were added on the uppermost floor and now contain the Romantic
works.
The collection contains works from Classicism
and Romanticism
(by artists such as Caspar David Friedrich
, Karl Friedrich Schinkel
, and Karl Blechen), of the Biedermeier
, the French Impressionism
(Édouard Manet
, Claude Monet
) and early modern works (Adolph von Menzel
, Max Liebermann
, Lovis Corinth
). Among the most important exhibits are Friedrich's Mönch am Meer, Menzel's Eisenwalzwerk and sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow
's Prinzessinnengruppe, a double statue of princesses Louise
and Friederike of Prussia. The Alte Nationalgalerie houses one of the largest collections of 19th century sculpture
s and paintings in Germany
.
, the Neues Museum
, the Bode Museum
, the Pergamon Museum
, the Berlin Cathedral and Lustgarten
, make up the Museum Island
complex in Berlin. It is situated in the middle of the island, between the rails of the Berlin Stadtbahn and Bode Street on the eastern banks.
It is connected to the Pergamon-Museum to the north, and to the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum and the Berlin Cathedral to the south. The building was designed by Friedrich August Stüler
, with an architectural style that is a mix between late-Classicism and early-Neorenaissance, and realised by Johann Heinrich Strack. The exterior of the building still retains its original looks, whereas the interior has been renovated many times in order to suit the exhibits.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
is a gallery showing a collection of Classical
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
, Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
, Biedermeier
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...
, Impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
and early Modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
artwork, all of which belong to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. The museum is situated on Museum Island
Museum Island
Museum Island is the name of the northern half of an island in the Spree river in the central Mitte district of Berlin, Germany, the site of the old city of Cölln...
, a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
-designated World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Founding
The initial ideas about the national gallery began in the year 1815. The movement gained momentum during the 1830s, but without an actual building. In 1841 the first real plans were created. These plans never made it out of the planning stages, but finally in 1861 the nationalgalerie was founded, after the donations of 262 paintings by banker Johann Heinrich Wagener from both german and foreign painters. This donation formed the basis of the current collection. The collection was first known as Wagenersche und Nationalgalerie and was housed in the buildings of the Akademie der KünsteAkademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
. The current building, shaped like a Roman temple with an appended apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
was planned by
Building and related developments
Friedrich August Stüler
Friedrich August Stüler was an influential Prussian architect and builder. His masterwork is the Neues Museum in Berlin, as well as the dome of the triumphal arch of the main portal of the Berliner Stadtschloss.-Life:...
started in 1863, following a sketch by King Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
to plan the building. 2 years, and 2 failed plans later, his third proposal was finally accepted. Stüler died before the building was finished and Carl Busse handled the remaining details. in 1866 after the Kaiser's cabinet meeting the Kommission für den Bau der Nationalgalerie (Commission for the construction of the national gallery) was created. They broke ground in 1867 overseen by Johann Heinrich Strack
Heinrich Strack
Johann Heinrich Strack was a German architect of the Schinkelschule. His notable works include the Berlin Victory Column.-Life:...
d. Ä. The frame was completed in 1872 and the interior work began. The building was first opened on March 22, 1876 in the presence of the Kaiser.
Because of the building's modern design with brick and iron, it was widely believed to be fireproof. The exterior and outer staircase were constructed from Nebra sandstone (Trias). At the opening the collection was still relatively small. Next to Wagener's collection, originally, was a display of Cartons from Peter von Cornelius
Peter von Cornelius
Peter von Cornelius was a German painter.Cornelius was born in Düsseldorf.His father, who was inspector of the Düsseldorf gallery, died in 1799, and the young Cornelius was stimulated to extraordinary exertions...
left behind by the Prussia government. The goal became to collect early Prussian art, as Berlin at the time had no other museums with such collections.
20th century
Ludwig Justi was placed in the director role for the gallery in 1909 and was dismissed in 1933 by the new Nazi authorities. During his time he initiated several expansion projects, such as the Crown Prince Palace for modern works. He was followed by Eberhard Hanfstaengl who remained until 1937 when he too was dismissed for being unsuitable, then Paul Ortwin Rave, who stayed until 1950, although because of World War II the building was closed much of that time period. The building was heavily damaged in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
air raids. It was partly reopened in 1949, but reconstruction continued until 1969. Between 1998 and 2001, the museum was renovated thoroughly. Some extra halls were added on the uppermost floor and now contain the Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
works.
Collection
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
and Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
(by artists such as Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning...
, Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
, and Karl Blechen), of the Biedermeier
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...
, the French Impressionism
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
(Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
, Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
) and early modern works (Adolph von Menzel
Adolph von Menzel
Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel, was a German artist noted for drawings, etchings, and paintings. Along with Caspar David Friedrich, he is considered one of the two most prominent German artists of the 19th century, and was the most successful artist of his era in Germany...
, Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann was a German-Jewish painter and printmaker best known for his etching and lithography.-Biography:...
, Lovis Corinth
Lovis Corinth
Lovis Corinth was a German painter and printmaker whose mature work realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism....
). Among the most important exhibits are Friedrich's Mönch am Meer, Menzel's Eisenwalzwerk and sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow
Johann Gottfried Schadow
Johann Gottfried Schadow was a German sculptor.-Biography:Schadow was born in Berlin, where his father was a poor tailor....
's Prinzessinnengruppe, a double statue of princesses Louise
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III...
and Friederike of Prussia. The Alte Nationalgalerie houses one of the largest collections of 19th century sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s and paintings in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Architecture
The Alte Nationalgalerie, together with the Altes MuseumAltes Museum
The Altes Museum , is one of several internationally renowned museums on Museum Island in Berlin, Germany. Since restoration work in 1966, it houses the Antikensammlung of the Berlin State Museums...
, the Neues Museum
Neues Museum
The ' is a museum in Berlin, Germany, located to the north of the Altes Museum on Museum Island.It was built between 1843 and 1855 according to plans by Friedrich August Stüler, a student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The museum was closed at the beginning of World War II in 1939, and was heavily...
, the Bode Museum
Bode Museum
The Bode Museum is one of the group of museums on the Museum Island in Berlin, Germany; it is a historically preserved building. The museum was designed by architect Ernst von Ihne and completed in 1904...
, the Pergamon Museum
Pergamon Museum
The Pergamon Museum is situated on the Museum Island in Berlin. The site was designed by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann and was constructed in twenty years, from 1910 to 1930. The Pergamon houses original-sized, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar and the Market Gate...
, the Berlin Cathedral and Lustgarten
Lustgarten
The Lustgarten is a park on Museum Island in central Berlin, near the site of the former Berliner Stadtschloss of which it was originally a part...
, make up the Museum Island
Museum Island
Museum Island is the name of the northern half of an island in the Spree river in the central Mitte district of Berlin, Germany, the site of the old city of Cölln...
complex in Berlin. It is situated in the middle of the island, between the rails of the Berlin Stadtbahn and Bode Street on the eastern banks.
It is connected to the Pergamon-Museum to the north, and to the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum and the Berlin Cathedral to the south. The building was designed by Friedrich August Stüler
Friedrich August Stüler
Friedrich August Stüler was an influential Prussian architect and builder. His masterwork is the Neues Museum in Berlin, as well as the dome of the triumphal arch of the main portal of the Berliner Stadtschloss.-Life:...
, with an architectural style that is a mix between late-Classicism and early-Neorenaissance, and realised by Johann Heinrich Strack. The exterior of the building still retains its original looks, whereas the interior has been renovated many times in order to suit the exhibits.
Literature
- Claude Keisch (Hrsg.): Die Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin. Scala Publishers und Beck, London und München 2005, ISBN 3-406-52313-7.
- Bernhard Maaz (Hrsg.): Die Alte Nationalgalerie. Geschichte, Bau und Umbau. G + H, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-931768-58-9.
- Peter-Klaus Schuster: Die Alte Nationalgalerie. DuMont, Köln 2003, ISBN 3-8321-7370-6.
- Angelika Wesenberg, Sigrid Achenbach (Konzeption und Realisierung): Frankreich in der Nationalgalerie. Jütte-Messedruck, Leipzig 2007, ISBN 978-3-88609-585-8.