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The paintings of King Frederick II (Frederick the Great) are presented in splendidly carved and gilded frames at Sanssouci's Picture Gallery, the oldest remaining royal museum in Germany.
Frederick II commissioned the Picture Gallery as a separate building, near Sanssouci Palace, to accommodate a selection of works from his painting collection. Johann Gottfried Büring erected the long building from 1755-64.
In addition to paintings from Frederick's original collection, paintings from other Prussian palaces are also included in the display. Among the highlights are Caravaggio's "Doubting Thomas," Anton van Dyck's "Pentecost" and works by Peter Paul Rubens.
The contrast between the modest exterior and the lavish interiors is unexpected. The gallery's exquisite interior decoration, which in itself is worth a visit, presents gilded ornamentation and gleaming floors of yellow and white marble, a colorful, stone inlaid floor, both classical and Baroque sculpture, as well as allegories of the arts and sciences in stuccowork high above the heads of the visitors.
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Blick in den westlichen Galerieflügel
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| Caravaggio. Der ungläubige Thomas |
Friedrich II. |
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Visitor´s center
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