MUNICH.- A reunion with old friends, exciting discoveries, and several surprises await visitors in the new exhibition in the Alte Pinakothek. The newly curated display arranges works into thematic clusters, presenting Early German, Early Netherlandish, and Flemish masters from the institution’s collection in new contexts while embracing one of the preeminent tasks of painting: telling stories. But what is told, how, and by whom? What are the goals pursued by artists and clients in different eras, and what is their target audience in each case? In fact, is that even always clear, or are viewers sometimes deliberately led astray? These and other questions arise throughout the exhibition, where appearances can be deceiving and first impressions often invite deeper reflections.

A splendid prelude is set by Flemish paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. A sixteenth- century portrait? Painted by Rubens, in fact. The ‘Sermon of Saint John the Baptist’ by Jan Brueghel the Elder—with the central character very far from obvious. A multi-figure genre scene - or is it a history painting depicting the calling of the future Apostle Matthew? The rich collection of Flemish paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries reflects a wide variety of themes. Increasingly, distinctions unfurl between the categories of history, genre, and landscape painting. Yet there are still surprises along the way: works that appear similar at first glance reveal their differences, and closer examination uncovers moments of convergence as well as layers of ambiguity.

Visitors are welcomed by the ‘Large Bouquet of Flowers’, which only upon closer inspection reveals itself to be a product of Jan Brueghel the Elder's workshop. In ‘The Way to Golgotha’, David Vinckboons places Christ carrying the cross in the midst of a bustling crowd, rendered so small that viewers must actively search for him. Night scenes, displayed in the adjoining cabinet, were considered a hallmark of artistic mastery at the time. Here, the narrative emerges from the darkness solely through the deliberate use of light sources. Another cabinet is dedicated to the Brueghel dynasty. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, whose ‘The Land of Cockaigne’ is held by the Alte Pinakothek, had a lasting impact on his sons: Pieter Brueghel the Younger continued to produce copies of his father's works well into the 17th century, responding to high public demand. His brother, Jan Brueghel the Elder, on the other hand, sought artistic independence and gained renown for his meticulously detailed landscapes and still lifes. The exhibition’s first section concludes with works by the Dutch ‘Romanists,’ whose half-length genre scenes and history paintings bring the depicted events directly into the viewer’s space.

The next section of the exhibition invites viewers to explore works by Early German and Early Netherlandish masters, tracing the origins of many pictorial narratives and the way in which artists interpreted texts, often biblical in nature, that had been passed down through the centuries.

The journey begins with a group of works created in and around Munich around 1450, reflecting the groundbreaking innovations in painting of the time. The realistic representation of the visible world became a central focus of artistic interest, opening up new possibilities for visual storytelling.

A separate room brings together predominantly large-format altarpieces from the late Middle Ages to the early Reformation, featuring artists such as Hans Pleydenwurff, Hans Holbein the Elder, Joos van Cleve and Martin Schaffner. These often multi-panel ensembles, linked through narratives and themes, illustrate key themes of the Christian faith. What is brought into focus? What unfolds in the background? What role do architecture and landscape play? And what significance lies in seemingly incidental details? The narrative strategies employed vary significantly depending on the period of origin, as well as the size, construction, and complexity of the winged altarpieces.

The oldest documented holdings of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) trace back to a major commission by Duke William IV of Bavaria and his wife Jacobaea of Baden. This commission gave rise to some of the highlights of early modern history painting, such as Albrecht Altdorfer's ‘The Battle of Alexander at Issus’. Between 1528 and 1540, an extensive cycle of large-format historical paintings was created, depicting the virtuous deeds of legendary heroes and heroines of the past – intended also to reflect the princely virtues of the Bavarian ducal couple. For the first time in many years, ten of the eleven paintings still preserved in Munich are being presented together in one gallery room.

The extent to which a single theme can be conveyed on a small scale is demonstrated by an array of works from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance that portray the Madonna in a host of roles from sublime Queen of Heaven to the tender mother sharing an intimate bond with her child. The main focus here is on the spectacular new acquisition of Hans Baldung Grien's ‘The Virgin as Queen of Heaven’, which is being presented to the Munich public for the first time on this occasion.

The final section of the exhibition features works from both contributing departments of the collection, offering exemplary insight into the varied ways pictorial space, the human figure, and their perspectival foreshortening are employed to heighten drama and intensify visual storytelling.

Curators:
Gabriel Dette, Chief Curator of Early German and Early Netherlandish Painting Mirjam Neumeister, Chief Curator of Flemish Baroque Painting