Visiting Dresden Old Masters Gallery

Dresden’s Alte Meister Gemäldegalerie – or Old Masters Gallery – is one of the greatest art galleries in Europe. It’s part of the lavish Baroque Zwinger Palace in the heart of historic Dresden. And it’s home to over 700 outstanding works from the Italian and German Renaissance, as well as many Dutch and Flemish Masters through to Canaletto-inspired cityscapes of the18^th century.

In my guide to visiting Dresden Old Masters Gallery, I’ll show you 15 of the greatest works to seek out while you’re there. These range from Raphael’s Sistine Madonna to some of the finest works of Johannes Vermeer, and some of the great 16^th-century artists (Dürer, Hans Holbein the Younger) to the iconic landscapes of Saxon court painter Bernardo Bellotto.

I have chosen a mixture of the must-see paintings in the gallery with some lesser-known works by prominent artists including Botticelli and Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger.

I’ll also explain everything you need to know about visiting the Alte Gemäldegalerie, from buying your tickets to getting there. I’ll also suggest how long you may need to visit the Old Masters Gallery, and offer tips on visiting the other attractions in the Zwinger Palace and the rest of Dresden.

I hope you find it helpful.

This iconic work by the Italian Renaissance Master is perhaps the most famous painting in the Alte Gemäldegalerie.

It was acquired by the Gallery in 1754, having earlier been hung in its intended location, the church of San Sisto in Piacenza, Italy. In the painting, the Virgin Mary is flanked by St Sixtus (a 3^rd-century Roman martyr) and St Barbara, a renowned Greek martyr from the same period.

The two cherubim, or winged angels, at the bottom of the painting are as famous as the main subject of the painting. The two children are looking into the distance, seemingly blasé about the figures above them. Over the five centuries since the painting was completed, they have become two of the most recognisable figures in European art. Which is rather saying something!

Ganymede was a Trojan shepherd with whom Zeus, the god of gods fell in love, and his abduction – often called a rape – was a popular mythological subject among many painters before Rembrandt.

According to Homer, Ganymede was the ‘loveliest born of the race of mortals’, but Rembrandt’s portrayal is very different. In this painting Ganymede is a chubby, highly distressed child, crying and urinating with fright as the eagle (some have said this was Zeus himself) snatching him from the ground and carrying him away.

According to the legend he was then taken to Zeus on Mount Olympus, where he became his cupbearer and sometime sexual partner and was granted immortality.

The painting has many familiar elements of Rembrandt’s work, especially the dark surroundings and dramatic light on the main subject. It was commissioned by a Calvinist priest, so the emphasis is very much on the harm inflicted on the child, far removed from the homo-erotic overtones of previous portrayals of the episode.

This is my personal favourite painting in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden. I’ve always loved it for the almost photographic quality of Vermeer’s details, but there’s also a fascinating backstory to this extraordinary work.

The painting underwent a major restoration which was completed in 2021, and this completely altered the meaning of the painting. The restorers discovered – using x-rays – that the mural on the wall behind the girl had been painted over centuries before. This was painstakingly removed, revealing the god of love Cupid revealed on the wall.

This changed many people’s interpretations of the painting. Many have expressed the idea that the girl is reading a love letter, which hadn’t been apparent until the revelation of Cupid.

Curiously, the painting was originally bought by August III as a Rembrandt in 1742.  And almost 340 years after its completion, the painting was the inspiration for Tom Hunter’s superb award-winning photograph of a woman in London with a baby reading a repossession notice.

Also known as La belle chocolatiere, this pastel painting of a maid in Vienna is the best-known work of Genevan artist Jean-Étienne Liotard.

The simple painting depicts a girl serving chocolate in a porcelain cup and a glass of water on a tray. It was bought in 1745 by Italian collector Francesco Algarotti (after whom the Zwinger Palace’s café is named). He described the painting as a ‘Holbein in pastel’ – extremely high praise indeed.

During the 19^th century the painting was used on products by the Baker’s Chocolate Company in the United States. It was also the inspiration for the nurse depicted on Droste cocoa tins in the Netherlands from around 1900 onwards.

Bernardo Bellotto was the court painter in Dresden and later Warsaw, making a living from painting city scenes and cityscapes for royal houses in Central Europe for much of the 18^th century.

He sometimes signed himself as ‘Canaletto’, which is the source of some confusion. He was the nephew and student of Giovanni Antonio Canal, widely known as Canaletto, who was renowned for his depictions of Venice during the 18^th century.

His series of paintings of Pirna, a small historic town just beyond the eastern outskirts of Dresden – is unusual. It’s the only time he painted somewhere so small – his usual subjects were large cities, which also included Venice, Vienna and Turin.

This famous depiction of the Marktplatz in Pirna is recreated every year, when locals dress up in historic costume for the occasion.

Bellotto’s paintings of Dresden from the right back of the Elbe – from between the Carola and Augustus Bridges – are among the most famous of the city. They show Dresden at the time its famous skyline (with the Frauenkirche and Catholic Cathedral) were completed.

The city became known as the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ (Elbflorenz) and its beauty gradually became more widely known as travel and tourism gradually grew from the late 18^th century onwards.

Several of Bellotto’s paintings of Dresden are held in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. I’ve chosen this one, from just below the Augustusbrücke, as this painting is commemorated by an empty frame near Bellotto’s vantage point.

His paintings were later used as a reference point in the restoration of the city after its destruction in 1945. Likewise, his paintings of Warsaw were later used as guidelines for restorers rebuilding the city’s Old Town from the rubble.

Bernardino di Betto – better known as Il Pinturicchio, the Little Painter – was originally from Perugia in Umbria, and a pupil of Il Perugino alongside Raphael.

For centuries it was believed that the boy – alright, let’s say teenager – depicted in this painting was Raphael himself, though doubt has grown over this in recent years.

It has become one of the most recognisable portraits of the Renaissance period in Italy. The background landscape is a common feature among paintings of the time, but the near full-face positioning of the boy differs from the profiles prevalent at the time.

More of Pinturicchio’s work can be seen in the Bufalini Chapel in Santa Maria del Aracoeli, and the Basso della Rovere Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome.

This famous nude was originally attributed to Giorgione, though it has long been believed that some of the background was completed by the Venetian master Titian after Giorgione’s death.

The painting broke new ground as it is the earliest known reclining nude in a landscape in European art. Venus’ hand on her groin is also highly suggestive for its time. The painting’s nude and erotic elements have been repeated countless times since.

The only thing we don’t know for sure is who painted it. Giorgione may have begun it, left it unfinished, with Titian later completing the landscape and sky. It was sold to Augustus the Strong as a Giorgione, but Titian’s role is more certain than his. And its influence has been immense.

The Roman god Hercules – essentially the Romanised version of the Ancient Greek god Heracles – was known for his enormous physical strength. But he is also depicted showing his moral strength, overcoming adversity and temptation.

Peter Paul Rubens was one of the prime movers of Flemish Baroque painting, and this painting dates from the middle of his career, when he was based in Antwerp from 1609 to 1621.

He painted many more mythological and religious scenes throughout his life, returning to the subject of Hercules almost twenty years later.

The Bolognese artist Annibale Carracci was one of the most influential early Baroque painters in Italy. He eventually moved to Rome where he won his most important commission, the fresco cycle in the piano nobile of the Palazzo Farnese.

The 3^rd-century martyr St Sebastian has been painted by many other renowned artists, including Botticelli, Mantegna and Il Sodoma. He is depicted tied to a tree or pillar, wounded by several arrows. What I find most striking about Carracci’s painting is the ghostly pallor and expression of agony on Sebastian’s face.

There is an interesting footnote to this painting. Sebastian is believed to have survived this attempted execution. He was rescued by Irene of Rome, who nursed him back to health.   Once recovered, he confronted Emperor Diocletian over his persecution of Christians. Diocletian ordered that he should be executed, and this was carried out immediately. Sebastian was beaten and thrown into the main sewer in Rome, the Cloaca Maxima.

And one of the few depictions of this actual martyrdom of St Sebastian was the work of Ludovico Carracci – the close collaborator and cousin of Annibale.

The following four paintings can be found in the same room, in one of the greatest concentrations of works by German Old Masters in the world.

Nuremberg’s master, Albrecht Dürer, is represented by this portrait of merchant and businessman Bernhard von Reesen, who was originally from the Hanseatic port of Danzig (now Gdansk in Poland).

Dürer made the portrait in Antwerp. This was during a year-long trip away from his home in Nuremberg, where he also travelled to Cologne and the Netherlands. He encountered the work of some early Dutch Masters at the time, including Jan van Eyck.

The subject of the portrait was to die from the plague a few months later, in October 1521, at the age of 29 or 30.

Best known for his portraits of England’s King Henry VIII and the astonishing The Ambassadors, it’s wonderful to see one of the greatest portrait artists of the 16^th century – indeed, perhaps all time – represented here.

He was born in Augsburg but spent many of his early years establishing himself in Basel, Switzerland.  He then spent much of his career in England, where he rose to become King’s Painter.

This painting of the French Ambassador to England dates from the middle of his second spell in England. The preparatory sketch can be seen across the street in the Kupferstich-Kabinett within Dresden Royal Palace.

In some ways the painting of Charles de Solier was a ‘dry run’ for his portraits of Henry VIII from 1536 onwards. De Solier was not dissimilar in appearance and bearing to Henry, whom Holbein the Younger also painted full face as opposed to in profile.

Portrait of Margarethe von Ponickau – Lucas Cranach the Elder (1536)

This portrait of an unidentified man has been attributed to Lucas Cranach the Younger,  son of Lucas Cranach the Elder. It bears an insignia similar to that of his father – a serpent with wings. However, Cranach the Elder’s serpent normally also had a ring in its mouth – and this is absent in this painting.

It’s one of several paintings from the Cranach workshop held in the Dresden Old Masters Gallery, and is dated 1544. He spent most of his life in his hometown, Wittenberg (now renamed Lutherstadt Wittenberg), remaining there after the exile of his father in 1550.

So it’s likely that the subject may have been a wealthy local man from Wittenberg or the surrounding area, but beyond that, we know nothing more.

This is believed to be one of the Florentine master’s final works, dating from some time in the last five years of his life.

It’s the final panel in a series of four depicting the life of St Zenobius, who is believed to have been the first Bishop of Florence. Two of the other panels are in the National Gallery in London, and another is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The panel is in an elongated panoramic shape, so my photograph above does not contain details at either end. It’s a series of three scenes – the death of a young man, knocked over and killed by a cart, his resurrection (attributed to Zenobius) and the death of Zenobius himself.

The ticket for the Old Masters Gallery also includes entry to the Porcelain Collection and Mathematics and Physics Salon.

Adults pay €14.00 for the Zwinger ticket, while under-16s visit for free. You can buy the tickets via this link. You have to specify a date when buying a ticket, but not a time.

You can also join an informative 2-hour guided tour of the Old Masters Gallery, taking in some of the paintings I’ve described, and other great artworks along the way. These tours are conducted in English and German.

Another great option is this combination ticket which includes the Old Masters Gallery and a tour of the Semper Opera House -ideal as they’re next door to each other!

It’s also possible to combine your visit to the Old Masters Gallery with a 2-day hop-on-hop-off bus around Dresden. This includes a ride out to the Elbe Castles and Loschwitz – something which takes a fair chunk out of your day if you’re travelling by public transport.

The Zwinger Palace is very easy to reach, and the best ways to get there are on foot or by tram.

The Zwinger is across the street from another of the most famous Dresden sights, the Residenzschloss (sometimes referred to as Dresden Castle). The Historic Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) is on the ground floor of this complex of buildings.

When I visited I walked from my hotel near Dresden’s main station, which took around 15 minutes. It’s only a 5-10 minute walk from other Dresden attractions including the Frauenkirche church and Brühlsche Terrasse overlooking the River Elbe.

The most convenient tram stop for the Old Masters Gallery is Theaterplatz, outside the Semper Opera House. Trams 4,8,9,10 and 11 stop there.

If you’re travelling from across the river (the Dresden Neustadt side), the tram stops very close to the entrance to the Gallery, which is on the side of the Palace facing the Semperoper.

If you’re travelling from the city centre, the tram stops 100 metres or so further away, outside the Catholic Hofkirche, close to the river.

All of these trams also stop at Postplatz, the next stop on your way into the city centre. Tram 4 stops on Wilsdrufer Strasse (as do trams 1 and 2) – they also stop at Pirnaischer Platz and Altmarkt en route there.

Trams 8,9 and 11 stop on the Wallstrasse Postplatz stop, outside the Altmarkt Galerie shopping mall.

I would block out a minimum of two hours to see the Dresden Old Masters Gallery. This would allow you to see the highlights, but 3 hours is more rewarding if you have the time available. I spent over 4 hours there when I visited, out of a total of six hours exploring all three galleries within the Zwinger Palace.

You may be tempted to visit the Residenzschloss and Historic Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) the same day. My advice: don’t even think about it.  You could easily spend 4-5 hours exploring the Royal Palace, and you should book yourself in for a different day to the Zwinger, as I did.

After visiting the Zwinger, my advice is to spend some time walking along the river Elbe, or along the nearby Fürstenzug, with its amazing battle frieze, before spending some time in the wondrous Frauenkirche.

Several of the best hotels in Dresden are very close to the Zwinger Palace.

Of these, the closest – and most luxurious – is the 5-star Grand Hotel Taschenberg Palais Kempinski. You couldn’t get a better location – it’s across the street from the Zwinger Palace, and on the same square as the Dresden Royal Palace (Residenzschloss).

Felix Suiten am Zwinger is a great aparthotel option on a side street a three-minute walk from the Zwinger and Royal Palace.

Hotel Suitess is a superb 5-star hotel very close to the Frauenkirche, less than 10 minutes’ walk from the Zwinger.

And the 4-star NH Collection Dresden Altmarkt is a little further away, across the street from the landmark Kreuzkirche (Holy Cross Church). It’s also within a minute’s walk of the Altmarkt, the square where the famous Striezelmarkt Christmas Market is held.

I hope that you find this guide to visiting the Alte Gemäldegalerie useful, and that it helps you piece together your Dresden itinerary.

As well as visiting the Old Masters Picture Gallery, I also recommend visiting the rest of the Zwinger Palace, which includes the Porcelain Collection (Porzellansammlung) and the Mathematics and Physics Salon. For more information on what to see, take a look at my guide to visiting the Zwinger Palace Dresden.

Dresden is a fascinating city to visit. Check out some more of my Dresden articles, beginning with my guide to the best churches in Dresden to visit. One of them, the Catholic Hofkirche, is across the street from the Old Masters Gallery. And the stunning Frauenkirche is only a ten-minute walk away. 

My guide to the best Dresden landmarks offers a great overview of all the Dresden sights to look out for. Further afield, check out my guides to Loschwitz Dresden – the city’s most beautiful suburb. And delve into the dark history of Communist East Germany at the recently renovated Stasi Museum Dresden.