It’s a known fact that I am a complete and utter nerd for a good museum. Art museum? Of course, I’ll take any one i can find. Science, natural history or ancient history? Sign me up! Ive even been known to find myself in the slightly less known museums filled with curious items. So with a full day to get acquainted with Berlin, it was an easy choice to head to its famous Museuminsel. A full day pass allowed me to visit the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Altes National Gallery and the Pergamon all by midafternoon.
Walking into the Pergamon and the Neues Museum were especially impressive. The grand staircases, the glimpses into full rooms, I was in nerd heaven. Each of the museums we visited today hold collections that are just an embarrassment of riches. Rooms full of pieces that would be the center piece of most other museums. I know many of these treasures may be ill-gotten, and that many countries have asked for them back, not unlike the British Museum. But I am going to suspend that knowledge momentarily in order to openly open-mouthed in wonder and awe stare at these treasures of humankind. Some people get excited to meet their favorite movie star or spot a famous music Ian outside an airport gate, but getting to travel to these museums and their treasures was akin to meeting a favorite celebrity for me. The joy of seeing pieces I have only studied about through books or the web is something I look forward to doing more while in Europe this summer.
The Neues Museum
Nefertiti was breathtaking in her beauty and preservation. She is in a room all to herself, the better to showcase her singular beauty. The room’s tall green walls offer the bold colors still found on the thousands of years old bust. I cannot believe how bold her colors still are, how fine her features, and the addition of several small wrinkles here and there. After all, it was her husband Akhenaten who was one of the first to insist on more accurate and less idealized images of himself and his family. Poor Akhenaten also has a bust displayed just outside his wife’s room, yet his has not fared so well. It has crumbled in parts and veery little color remains. Not to worry, his instantly recognizable image appears in many wall pieces and stele nearby. Click through the slideshow below to see some of the pieces I loved the most from the Nues Museum. The very first one is a stele depicting Nefertiti and Akhenaten that I studied many time throughout my art history courses.
The Pergamon
I tell a story of the Ishtar Gate to my students each year as we talk about the symbolism and significance of various colors through history and around the world. The vivid blue originally used to glaze the tiles was made with lapis lazuli, supremely expensive at the time. Nebacanezer built the gate in Babylon as a display of wealth and intimidation. And walking up to the gate in the Pergamon Museum , you can see how well he succeeded. The gate is huge, looming above the room it has been recreated in. It is easy see what tiles have been reconstructed and which are original, but it hardly changes the power the gate holds to know a decent about of its azure beauty is not original. I can’t begin to image the task of finding and fitting the pieces together. I never was part of the puzzle brigade on family vacations.
Past the flashy Ishtar Gate, the Pergamon is home to one of my favorite mythical creatures: the Lamassu. Part human, bird, and lion, this figure shows up frequently in Mesopotamian art. One of its more curious features is its seemingly five legs. Don't worry, its just a trick of perception! When the lamassu is viewed from either the side or the front of the home it is protecting, it will appear as though it has the correct number of legs. Check it out in the pictures below!
Altes National Gallery
The Altes National Gallery is a fine art museum housing a collection of work primarily from the 1800's. I was a little dismayed to see that the gallery featuring the Impressionists was blocked off for a special exhibit. But never fear, I still found many works that required further exploration. Here are some of my favorites.
I must have been missing my horse this day. Many of the artworks that struck me feature horses rather prominently.
Altes Museum
After a quick stop to view the outside of Berliner Dom, our final museum of the day was the Altes Museum. This museum houses Greek and Roman Art. At this point my museum sign reading abilities were about used up, but the pieces inside were so spectacular! Scroll through the pictures below to find some of my favorite Greek gods and goddesses.
Museum Buddies!
I need to give a shout-out to my intrepid fellow museum goers for the day: Sandra and Josh. GInny started the day with us, then outpaced us by reaching an additional 2-3 museums. Thanks for pretty much reading every sign and going in every door with me!
Schick schnack schnook (rock paper scissors in German)
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