Alte Pinakothek München [antikvár]

History of the Alte Pinakothek When the new building of the Alte Pinakothek was opened in 1836, its exhibits consisted of works of art which had been assembled as a result of the collections, one might say collection mania, of numerous German dukes, electors and two kings. They were all members of the widespread House of Wittelsbach, which ruled in Bavaria from the end of the 12th century until 1918, and whose principal residence since 1508 had been iVIunich. This collecting activity, spread over hundreds of years, made the Alte Pinakothek into one of the most important picture galleries in the world. Its origins date back to the early 16th century, the period of the renaissance and humanism. At that time Duke William IV of Bavaria commissioned a cycle of historical pictures, which we regard today as the germ of Bavaria's art collections. This cycle, of which eleven pictures are exhibited in Room I of the upper floor, was designed for permanent installation in the Munich Residence. One of these pictures became world vamous, viz. "Alexander's Victory" 333 B.C. on the Issus, portraying the defeat of the Persians by the Greek king, painted in 1529 by the Master of the Danube School, Albrecht Altdorfer of Regensburg. The last duke and later Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria, who ruled for over 50 years until 1651, was the first of the Wittelsbachers to collect old pictures. The works of art which he had inherited were systematically arranged and new acquisitions carefully planned. Dürer stood at the head of his list of requirements. Although Emperor Rudolf II was his rival in this respect, he nevertheless succeeded in acquiring six important Dürer works. But Dürer's most famous work, "The Apostles" of 1526, is today, as it always has been, a highlight of the Alte Pinakothek, whereas the much admired "Heller Altar" was destroyed when the Munich Residenz was burnt down in 1729. Elector Max Emanuel of Bavaria (reigned 1679-1726), Hke the majority of feudal rulers of his age, based his style of life on the court of King Louis XIV of France. In his case, he actually spent the years 1713-1716 in Paris in exile. He was in financial matters a spendthrift and princely in the best sense regarding the quantity and quality of his purchases. The office of Stadholder of the Netherlands, which he held for ten years until 1701, influenced the taste and main trend of his collecting activities. In 1698 he purchased from Gisbert van Colen, the owner of one of the greatest trading houses in Ant- 10