The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the Skulpturensammlung up to 1800 present their works together in the extensively renovated Semperbau am Zwinger. After seven years of partial closure, the famous museum building from the 19th century now shines in new splendour.

These experiences have been drawn upon in creating the completely redesigned new permanent exhibition. The design concept follows the principle of hanging paintings according to geographical origin and school, while also drawing attention to certain important themes in each period. World famous masterpieces, such as Raphael’s Sistine madonna, Rembrandt‘s Ganymede and the views of Dresden by Bernardo Bellotto will function as focal points, emphasising the unique status and significance of these painters and their works for European art history.

Furthermore, the exhibition will highlight the mutual influences of painting and sculpture, as well as underlining the importance of antique sculpture for Renaissance and Baroque painting. In the Sculpture Hall in the east wing, the important collection of antiquities will again be on display. This hall was originally intended and planned by Gottfried Semper to house the historic plaster casts from the Mengs collection – however, these objects were removed from there in the late 19th century.

In 2016, a selection of these plaster casts returned to the Gemäldegalerie and will be on show there in the future. Small bronzes and marble sculptures from the Renaissance and Baroque periods complement the exhibition, many of them being directly juxtaposed with paintings. Dozens of paintings, sculptures and antique vases have undergone thorough restoration specifically for presentation in the new exhibition, and the famous gallery frames from the 18th century have also been renovated.

New coloured wall coverings and accent lighting will cast the paintings and sculptures in the best possible light. Additional areas for changing exhibitions will provide space for numerous works that would otherwise lie dormant in the storerooms.

Dozens of paintings, sculptures and antique vases have been restored extensively in the course of the reopening process, the famous 18th century gallery frames have been revised. See what is happening behind the scenes our restoration studio.