Glyptothek Museum Munich

Glyptothek Museum, Munich on the Konigsplatz is one of the Munich’s oldest museums which houses Bavarian king Ludwig I’ s collection of Greek and Roman sculptures. The building of the museum was designed in the Classical Greek – Italian style by the Bavaria’s most distinguished classical architect Philhellene Leo von Klenze and built from 1816-1830. Glyptothek Museum, Munich is one of Munich’s foremost museums fashioned after a Greek temple. This is located in Konigsplatz 3 and is the ideal neighbor for the Museum of Antiquities.

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

Glyptothek Museum, Munich, Germany was ordered by the Crown Prince (later king) Ludwig I of Bavaria to build a “German Athens” to display and protect the ancient Greek culture. He constructed the Glyptothek Museum, Munich in front of the gates of Munich. The beautification of the walls of the museum is done by various beautiful and colorful frescoes and stuccos by some eminent artists like Peter von Cornelius and Wilhelm von Kaulbach. The Glyptothek Museum in Munich was badly damaged because of the World War II but was later reopened in 1972.

ARCHITECTURE

The Glyptothek Museum, Munich was designed in the neo-classical style. After going through a magnificent gateway built in the style of the Propylaea at Athens one gets inside the beautiful museum. The portico is Ionic and the external walls are adorned with 18 original Roman and Greek sculptures. The inner part has domed vaulting.

COLLECTIONS

The Glyptothek Museum,Munich houses sculptures dating from the archaic age to the Roman era. Some of the outstanding pieces of work on display are Barberini Faun, the temple figures from Aegina, Medusa Rondanini, the Munich Kouros, the Funeral Stele of Mnesarete, and the Drunken Woman. This collection is complemented by some interesting works of terracotta and bronze. The colossal and an impressive sculpture of a Sleeping Satyr from the Hellenistic period also add to the glory of the museum. Besides this collection this museum houses some interesting collection of historical portraits.

The museum remains open from Tuesday –Sunday (10 a.m -5 p.m).But on Thursday it remains open till 8 p.m.

Munich, the capital of Bavaria is one of the most festive cities. It is the centre of Germany’s major cultural activities and hence dotted with many museums like Old Pinakothek which houses some world-class paintings, BMW Factory Museum which records the history of BMW AG. Thus Thomas Mann aptly says “Munich sparkles”.