The Glyptothek owes the exceptional status of its exhibits to its founder and benefactor: Ludwig I (1786–1868), King of Bavaria from 1825 to 1848, wanted to acquire only high-quality antiquities for his museum. The fact that this actually succeeded was thanks to his Roman art agent Johann Martin von Wagner (1777–1858), who combined an unerring … read more …
In order to distinguish it from "great" art – architecture, sculpture and painting – art history has coined the term "small art" for the many forms of small-format sculptures and decorated objects. Accordingly, the State Collections of Antiquities used to be called the "Museum of Ancient Small Art". A visit to the Collections of Antiquities … read more …
15.10.2025 – 25.01.2026 FIDEM XXXVIII. World Exhibition of Modern Medallic Art The world exhibition of modern medal art takes place in Munich for the first time (FIDEM XXXVIII). On display will be 500 art medals from over 30 countries, designed by 350 artists and oscillating between classical form and modern small sculpture. The works from … read more …
The Glyptothek has a tradition of displaying works of contemporary art alongside the ancient originals at regular intervals. In the exhibition "Greek Temples", Richard Berndt, an ambitious amateur, presents his black and white photographs of ancient sanctuaries and takes us back to Greece and lower Italy. Ancient sculpture thus meets ancient architecture, which usually provided … read more …
