The collection focuses on the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance-Baroque-Period. The joint curation of both collection areas allows an integral understanding of these two disciplines of painting which are usually treated separately.

The glass painting section is one of the most significant in the German-speaking region and among the Germanisches Nationalmuseum's earliest collections.

The collection of paintings and stained glass art from the 13th to the 16th century has achieved international acclaim, in particular the works by such famous artists as Albrecht Dürer, Hans Baldung Grien, Hans Burgkmair and Lukas Cranach, but also the baroque paintings by Rembrandt, Liss and others.