Bavarian State Painting Collections

About

The Bavarian State Painting Collections (German: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen), based in Munich, Germany, oversees artwork held by the Free State of Bavaria. It was established in 1799 as Centralgemäldegaleriedirektion. Artwork includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, video art and installation art. Pieces are on display in numerous galleries and museums throughout Bavaria.

Further information: List of painters in the Pinakothek

- Pinakothek der Moderne (Modern Picture Gallery)

- Ansbach | State Gallery in the Residenz

- Aschaffenburg | State Gallery in the Schloss Johannisburg

- Augsburg | State Gallery in the Katharinenkirche

- Augsburg | State Gallery in the Glaspalast

- Bamberg | State Gallery in the New Residence

- Bayreuth | State Gallery in the New Palace

- Burghausen | State Gallery in the Burghausen Castle

- Füssen | State Gallery in the High Castle

- Neuburg an der Donau | State Gallery in the Castle

- Ottobeuren | State Gallery in the Benedictine-Abbey

- Schleißheim Palace | State Gallery in the New Palace

- Tegernsee | Olaf-Gulbransson-Museum in the Kurpark

- Würzburg | State Gallery in the Würzburg Residence

In 2012, the Bavarian State Paintings Collections announced the restitution of a painting from the workshop of Jan Brueghel the Elder to the heirs of Julius Kien of Vienna. Bavaria had acquired it from the collection of Fritz Thyssen.

In 2013, the Bavarian State Painting Collections agreed to return two watercolours by Max Pechstein to the heirs of Professor Curt Glaser, confirming that the auction of his art collection and library were entirely due to Nazi persecution.

In 2016, the heirs of Alfred Flechtheim, a German-Jewish art dealer and collector, sued the German state of Bavaria, arguing in court papers that it has refused to turn over works of art that the heirs say were looted by the Nazis before World War II.

In June 2016, an investigation by Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed that the Bavarian State Museums had "restituted" looted artworks to the families of high ranking Nazis, which the museum denied in a statement that was criticized as "both inaccurate and misleading".