A Walk in the Park

I have shown the Alte Pinakothek before, but I’m amazed every time i see it – not so much because it holds one of the more important collections within Germany, but more because of the building itself.  You can see – in vivid detail – the scars left from the allied bombing in Munich.  The entire center section was destroyed during WWII, and you can see the distinction between the old & new.  Within its walls – old and new – you will find a mix of what was in the original Wittlesbach collection, dating back to the 1500s; but also vast artwork from Mannheim, Dusseldorf, and Zweibrucken – which were moved to Munich to protect during wars that followed the French revolution.  The building itself was originally built in 1848 to display the Ruben’s “Last Judgment” – one of the largest canvasses ever painted.  And the gallery became a model for those built in Rome, St. Petersburg, and Brussels.  Today, you find a mix of Germany, Dutch, Flemish, Italian, French & Spanish collections.