Museum Barberini
Masterpieces of Impressionist Painting
Behind historic palace façades in the heart of Potsdam, close to Berlin, experience the light and a riot of colours of Impressionism, with works by some extremely famous artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Signac.
In focus: Impressionist Painting
Yes, you are reading correctly: The Museum Barberini brings together 40 paintings by the star Impressionist artist Claude Monet under one roof! Among them are major works such as Water Lilies, Palazzo Contarini, Haystacks or Poplars at Giverny. Nowhere in Europe, apart from Paris, can you see such a collection of Claude Monet's works.
But other world-famous Impressionist artists are also gracing the exhibition halls of the former Palais Barberini:
Notables such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro or Paul Signac show the quality that visitors can expect from the masterpieces exhibited here. Collector and museum founder Hasso Plattner has collected and exhibited a total of more than one hundred Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings at the Barberini, so that the sensual experience of Impressionist art is felt by everybody:
“We can feel the wind on our skin and the temperature of the water when we look at Monet's Sailboats on the Seine. No other art can achieve that. The Impressionists are communication geniuses”.
Hasso Plattner
Especially exciting: The Hasso Plattner Collection also takes a look at how the light-flooded Impressionist landscape painting of the 19th century evolved into the initial years of the 20th century: Discover masterpieces by Fauvists such as Maurice de Vlaminck, Neo-Impressionists and Pointillists.
International exhibitions showcasing works from all periods
Museum Barberini catches one off guard several times a year with temporary exhibitions on all stylistic periods. You will discover antique sculptures and works of Baroque painting as well as the art of Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso or Gerhard Richter. First-class exhibits are displayed in collaboration with international collections and museums. In addition, a varied programme of events and an educational programme invites you to deepen what you have seen, exchange ideas and create something new together.
A young museum behind the façades of a palace
Museum Barberini is young: It opened in 2017 as a replica of the classicist-baroque Palais Barberini that once stood here and was destroyed in the Second World War:
Frederick the Great built the representative town house called the “Palais” in the 18th century in the middle of the historic centre of Potsdam - strictly based on the model of the Palazzo Barberini in Rome. In the 19th century, the magnificent building quickly became the centre of public life, providing a stage for art and culture. And today, it still has a banquet hall which provides around 200 guests a place to celebrate.
A lot has happened since the reconstruction began in 2005: A reconstruction of the palace has been created with the support of the Hasso Plattner Foundation. Its façade, floor plan and elevation correspond to the earlier building. Meanwhile, the interiors present themselves as ultra-modern exhibition spaces.
What you cannot miss:
- Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1914-1917
- Maurice de Vlaminck, Landscape with Red Roofs, no year
- Paul Cézanne, Forest Interior, 1897/98
- Raoul Dufy, The White Sail
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Pear Tree, 1877
- Paul Signac, The Port at Sunset, 1892
- Camille Pissaro, Boulevard Montmartre, 1897
Your visit:
The entire museum building is barrier-free. Wheelchairs and walkers are available if required.
Free admission for children and young people under 18 years of age; group discounts are available.
You can easily travel from Berlin by public transport: The IC, RB, RE, HBX and S7 operate here.
