Sculpture Collection, Dresden State Art Collections

In the newly designed Albertinum the exhibitions of the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) and the Galerie Neue Meister (New Masters Gallery) will make it possible to encounter modern art on a larger scale than has ever previously been possible in Dresden. The innovative museum concept marks a new beginning in the presentation of art in Dresden and displays the art of the modern period from the beginning of the 19th century up to the present day. For the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) the modern era begins with works by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. He heralded the age of modern statuary art and sculpture and is regarded as the forerunner of numerous styles which developed in the 20th century. The works of the classical modern period and of post-1945 sculpture on show in the exhibition extend Rodin’s principle – that of the subjectivity of art – to the contemporary era.
The Klingersaal (Klinger Hall)– designed by the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) and the Galerie Neue Meister (New Masters Gallery) as a space in which the spirit of an epoch can be sensed through its art – is devoted to the art of the late 19th century, the ‘Fin de Siècle’, illustrated through works by Arnold Böcklin and Max Klinger down to Franz von Stuck and Sascha Schneider. The Mosaiksaal (Mosaic Hall) dedicated to the theme of morality, exemplified by sculptures from the Classicist period with particular emphasis on Ernst Rietschel. The Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) holds works dating from more than five millennia – from the cultures of classical antiquity via all the various periods of European statuary art from the early Middle Ages down to the present day. In a few years’ time the core holdings of the collection – the Antiquities Collection which includes sculptures such as the “Dresden Boy”, as well as vases, bronzes and terracottas – will be presented in a new exhibition in the Osthalle (eastern wing) of the Semperbau (Semper Building), which was originally designed by Gottfried Semper to house the classical sculptures. Until then, visitors can get a foretaste of the future exhibition in the experimental display storeroom in the Albertinum, where a selection of the sculptures will be on view. The Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) is part of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) that are among the most prominent museums in the world. The combined holdings of the twelve museums offer the visitor a remarkable thematic diversity. These museums originated from the collections of the Saxon electors and Polish kings. They systematically developed cabinets of curiosities, which were accessible to select circles in their day and still form the core of the wonderful art treasures of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden today. The collections are situated in world famous buildings such as the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace), the Zwinger, and the Semperbau (Semper Building), which are among the most important sights in Dresden.