Beyond Van Gogh’s Sunflowers: What Else to See in Munich

At Munich’s Alte Pinakothek (Old Pinakothek), artists like Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Peter Paul Rubens, Auguste Rodin, and Rembrandt van Rijn are all featured—I’ve already halfway through this grand tour of Western art history. Right now, I’m standing in front of several works by François Boucher. Though I didn’t get to see his classic pieces infused with Oriental charm and Chinese elements in Munich, Reclining Young Woman (I blurred parts for the post to comply with guidelines) still held me captive for ages 🎨. The young woman leans against soft fabrics, her expression lazy and serene—as if just waking from a dream, or lost in some sweet reverie. Every detail around her—her fluffy skirt, light posture, and eyes that seem utterly unguarded against the world—speaks to 18th-century French Rococo art’s love for life and pursuit of sensual beauty. Among works filled with grand narratives and religious symbolism, Boucher’s Reclining Young Woman stands out as delicate yet genuine. At the Alte Pinakothek, I also discovered works by many deeply charming, profound artists who are often overlooked. They may not be in the spotlight of mainstream art history, but here, they receive the respect and display they deserve: Hans Mielich (16th-century German painter): His works are exquisite and rich in religious feeling, making him one of the most important visual recorders of late German Renaissance 🖌️. Friedrich Overbeck (from Lübeck, northern Germany): A core member of the Nazarene movement, he rebuilt the purity and ideals of religious painting with almost devout dedication ✝️. Max Liebermann (German Impressionism representative): His brushstrokes are free, and his use of light is vivid—he’s one of the most distinctive voices in Germany’s response to French Impressionism. His paintings evoke the tranquility of summer lakesides and the warmth of garden life 🌞. Pierre Bonnard (French painter): His restrained yet poetic use of color shines in the gallery; his works feel like light spreading through memories 🌈. Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (Austrian painter): His piece of his son sitting quietly with a dog is warm and authentic, carrying the unique humanistic care of 19th-century Viennese realism 🐶👦. Maurice Denis (thought-provoking painter of the Nabis movement): His works strike a mysterious, elegant balance between symbolism and decoration ✨. J.M.W. Turner (great British landscape painter): A painting of a sea storm on the other side of the gallery hits like a thunderclap, a reminder of how nature’s power and art’s lofty ideals can converge 🌊. The careful display of these works in Munich not only gives these “marginal masters” a voice but also lets viewers rediscover the diversity and breadth of art history. Lingering in front of these paintings, I unexpectedly felt a sense of being understood 💛. #MasterOilPaintings #ArtAppreciation #Art #VanGogh #Munich #MunichArt #Germany #ImmersiveGermany #EmbraceGermanNature