The Return of the PaintingsBaroque treasures in the Upper Gallery of the New Palace

After almost two and a half decades, the Upper Gallery in the New Palace is being reopened to the public for the first time. Six of the SPSG's most precious paintings are on display there. The paintings, which are part of the room's original furnishings, were acquired by Frederick the Great (1712-1786) and permanently installed in the wall panelling in 1768. For this reason, they were only removed in exceptional cases over the past 256 years and were not restored for a very long time. It was not until the early 20th century that it was discovered that the paintings purchased by the Prussian king included two by the Roman painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654). The king had acquired them without realising that they were by a woman. The Baroque paintings by the important 17th century artists Guido Reni (1575-1642) and Luca Giordano (1634-1705) have also remained virtually unknown to both researchers and the public. Now that the six paintings and their frames have been fully restored over the past six years, which has also provided an opportunity for in-depth research and publications, the gallery is once again open to the public. Thankfully, half of the restoration work was made possible by third-party funding (Museum Barberini, Rudolf August Oetker Stiftung and, as yet unfinished, the Annemarie Hilgemann Stiftung). Partial floor protection was a prerequisite for opening the gallery, as the valuable historical parquet flooring from the time the building was constructed must still not be walked on.