Alte Nationalgalerie

The Alte Nationalgalerie focuses on 19th-century art, bringing together painting and sculpture from a century of dramatic change. Inside, the galleries trace a path from early Romantic visions to the bold experiments that shaped modern art. Works by artists such as Monet, Manet, and Cézanne appear alongside German masters like Caspar David Friedrich, creating a vivid dialogue across movements and borders.

From Romantic Mood to Modern Light

Caspar David Friedrich’s landscapes set a contemplative tone, where solitary figures and vast skies invite slow looking. In nearby rooms, the atmosphere shifts to French realism and Impressionism. Manet’s confident brushwork challenges tradition, while Monet studies light and weather with shimmering color. Cézanne’s structured still lifes and landscapes point toward new ways of seeing, balancing order and sensation.

A Century of Ideas in Sculpture and Paint

The museum’s sculpture collection reflects the period’s changing ideals, from neoclassical harmony to expressive realism. Marble portraits and bronze figures share space with historical scenes and everyday subjects, mirroring the era’s curiosity about history, nature, and the modern city. Together, these works map the 18th- and 19th-century foundations that continue to shape art today.