Alte Pinakothek: 11 must-see paintings and their stories
Quick answer
The key works at the Alte Pinakothek are Dürer's Self-Portrait, Leonardo's Madonna of the Carnation, Raphael's Canigiani Holy Family, Botticelli's Lamentation, Rubens' Great Last Judgement and the Rembrandts. You can see them in about 2 hours on the upper floor.
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The 11 key works
Hangs change with loans and exhibitions; use the museum's plan.
- 1
Upper floor · German school
Self-Portrait in a Fur-Trimmed Robe (Dürer, 1500)
The museum's most famous work: Dürer shows himself frontal, as Christ was painted, a gesture of huge artistic confidence.
- 2
Upper floor · German school
The Four Apostles (Dürer)
Two monumental panels Dürer gave to his city as a testament of faith during the Reformation.
- 3
Upper floor · Italian school
Madonna of the Carnation (Leonardo, c. 1475)
A young Madonna with child by a Leonardo still in training. It is the only Leonardo in Germany.
- 4
Upper floor · Italian school
The Canigiani Holy Family (Raphael, 1505–1506)
The harmony of a triangular composition, a model of Renaissance balance.
- 5
Upper floor · Italian school
The Lamentation (Botticelli, c. 1490–1495)
A late, mournful Botticelli, far from the sweetness of his Primavera.
- 6
Upper floor · large Rubens gallery
The Great Last Judgement (Rubens, c. 1617)
A canvas over six metres tall, full of rising and falling bodies.
- 7
Upper floor · large Rubens gallery
The Fall of the Damned (Rubens, c. 1621)
A torrent of bodies plunging into the abyss, among the most dramatic of the Baroque.
- 8
Upper floor · Dutch school
Self-Portrait (Rembrandt, 1629)
Rembrandt at about 23, playing with light and shadow.
- 9
Upper floor · Dutch school
Resurrection of Christ (Rembrandt, 1635–1639)
A nocturnal, theatrical scene from his mature period.
- 10
Upper floor · Spanish school
Young Spanish Nobleman (Velázquez, c. 1631)
A sober, elegant portrait of the Spanish Golden Age.
- 11
Upper floor · Spanish school
Boys Eating Grapes and Melon (Murillo)
A street scene from Seville, warm and human.
How to look at the works
- Start with the German school and end at Rubens: the scale grows from room to room.
- Get close to Dürer's panels to see the detail of the hair and clothing.
- Point AnyArt at any painting to hear its story without hunting for the label.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous painting at the Alte Pinakothek?
Dürer's Self-Portrait in a Fur-Trimmed Robe (1500).
Is there a Leonardo?
Yes, the Madonna of the Carnation, the only Leonardo in Germany.
Where is Rubens' Last Judgement?
In the large Rubens gallery on the upper floor.
What to see in one hour?
Dürer's Self-Portrait, the Madonna of the Carnation and Rubens' Last Judgement.