Neue Pinakothek ("New Art Gallery")

The Neue Pinakothek is one of three art galleries ("Pinakotheken" in German) in Munich owned by the Bavarian state government. While the Neue Pinakothek specializes in 19th-century art, its sister museums, the Alte Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne, encompass the earlier and later centuries respectively. All three galleries are located close together in Munich's "Kunstareal" (art district), but have different opening hours.

Although it is a state collection today, the Neue Pinakothek's origins lie in the private collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, and his personal interests color much of the collection. Ludwig spent time in Italy as a young man, and his son Otto later became king of Greece. For these reasons the king collected scenes of historic sites and daily life in these two Mediterranean countries. One of the more interesting paintings of this part of the collection shows the young Ludwig and his friends out on a bender in an Italian wine cellar!

The impressionist and post-impressionist sections were the most rewarding for me. The gallery holds masterworks by Edouard Manet, Paul Gauguin, and Gustav Klimt, among others. Exceptional among this part are the handful of Van Gogh paintings, ranging from his dark, early works of Belgian peasants and laborers to the later works of glorious color painted under the blue skies of southern France. Van Gogh's "View of Arles" is especially impressive, as is one of his famous paintings from the "Sunflowers" series.

There is immense variety and high quality in the Neue Pinakothek's collection, and the building itself is relatively compact, meaning that you can see everything on display without getting tired. I was in and out in about two hours. An informative audioguide is included in the admission price, and will tell you interesting info on the collection and its history.