50 Masterpieces

The re-unification of Berlin has created the opportunity to display together all the painting collections of the Prussian state that date back to the times of Frederick the Great. Since 1998 this collection has been housed in a new picture gallery, part of the new Kulturforum complex. Includes works by Botticelli, Durer, Cranach, Brueghel, Raphael, El Grceo, Caravaggio, and Gainsborough - and representative collections of German, Dutch, Italian, Flemish and Spanish painting. The gallery itself totally succeeds in displaying a diverse collection of old master paintings in an historically coherent manner - but even more in such a way that each painting is diplayed to its best visual effect. This new work, written by the Director and the Senior Curator, takes fifty major works in the collection. These are illustrated both with full page photographs and a wealth of details, introducing and illuminating them with text that is both authoratative and fascinating. 185759259X