in detail
The Dresden Old Masters Picture Gallery was created in the first half of the 18th century by August the Strong and his son, August III. Over a period of less than 60 years, these two art-loving Electors of Saxony, who were also Kings of Poland, expanded the collections they had inherited from the 'Kunstkammer' (Art Chamber), which had been founded in 1560, and developed these into one of Europe's premier picture galleries. As well as Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces by Italian painters such as Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Correggio, Vermeer, Tintoretto and Guercino, the collection contains a large number of 17th-century Flemish and Dutch paintings by Rubens, Jordaens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Outstanding works by Spanish, French and German painters are also among the gallery's attractions.
An appropriate architectural setting for the collection was created by Gottfried Semper, who designed the gallery building adjacent to the Zwinger. This was built between 1848 and 1856. Following more than four years of restoration, Semper's building re-opened in 1992 and now houses over 760 paintings which attract over 400,000 visitors a year.
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