in Zwinger
Whether it's an altarpiece or a portrait, in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister every work is a masterpiece. Strolling through the high-ceilinged halls of the Gemäldegalerie, one encounters a host of familiar paintings that have been reproduced time and again: The "Chocolate Girl" by Jean-Etienne Liotard, the "Sleeping Venus" by Giorgione and Titian, Johannes Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window", Bellotto's views of Dresden's historic city centre and many more.
For more than 250 years now, the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer featuring a profile depiction of a girl intently reading a letter in front of a light-coloured empty wall has held a firm place among the masterpieces in the Dresden Gemäldegalerie. Previous x-ray examinations indicated that a picture of a naked Cupid in the painting had been overpainted. Today, new laboratory tests have conclusively determined that the overpainting was not by Vermeer’s hand.
The first great step has been taken: The renovation of the east wing of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden has been completed. The newly commissioned wing of the Semperbau is once again accessible to visitors. During the general redevelopment of the west wing, which is now also to take place, the world-famous collection will now be on show at a special presentation in the re-opened part of the museum.
Most of the principal works on display were collected within only five decades.
I entered this shrine, and my amazement exceeded any preconceived idea!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
