Our day in Munich began with a city tour. We met our local guide, Kathleen, at Marienplatz, one of Munich's historic plazas.
Standing in Marienplatz near the St. Mary monument gives a visitor a taste of all that is Munich. We had a panoramic view of the spires and domes of two huge Catholic churches and the cathedral that Pope Benedict XVI presided over before he left Munich for Rome. The old town hall and the block-wide Neo-Gothic new town hall with its famous Glockenspiel are hard to miss. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn intersect underneath the platz. Contemporary stores fill the first and second floors of other buildings facing the platz and, of course, there are beer gardens and cafes scattered around on all four sides.
We had the platz to ourselves this early in the morning but in the afternoons and evening the platz is packed with people waiting for the Glockenspiel show (daily at 11 am, noon and 5 pm), tourists shopping and sightseeing, customers in biergartens, and groups of men from all over the world dressed in lederhosen and suspenders, in town for "stag" parties. Everyone is having fun.
I think what I will appreciate most about Munich, though, is that this is the place where I finally began to understand art. The last stop on our morning tour was the Alte Pinakothek, a large art gallery full of the Wittelsbachs' collection of European artists' paintings including works from Rembrandt, da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens and Durer.
I've seen paintings by these artists in other famous museums and galleries around the world, but frankly, I often just look at them, comment that they are pretty or unusual or whatever, and exit as soon as possible. Kathleen's intimate knowledge of the artists, their time periods, and their motivations was impressive. Her precise explanations about the techniques the painters used (i.e. symmetry and people arranged in pyramids) and the symbolism contained within the paintings opened my eyes and sparked an eagerness to learn more. Here are several paintings that captured my interest.
This is a collection of paintings depicting the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The vivid colors and ornate framing of these Dutch masterpieces tell a story as beautiful as the paintings.
In Four Apostles, German RenaissanceartistAlbrecht Durer, a friend of Martin Luther,paintedMatthew, Peter, Paul and John as Protestant saints - in plain clothes, and with real human features such as receding hairlines and wrinkles. These paintings are larger than life and dominate the room they are displayed in.
Raphael's Madonna Tempi is an example of the Italian Renaissance "pyramid" style of painting. I collect Madonna (or Mary) trinkets so was especially attracted to this artwork. I love the tenderness she shows to her baby, Jesus, in her eyes, lips and expression, and the way her hands tenderly cradle and caress his body. Pressing his cheek on his mother's, his eyes convey contentment, love and trust. In his little world, all is well.
For me, our hour in this amazing museum passed by too quickly. There were so many more rooms and paintings that we didn't get a chance to see. I never thought I'd think or say those words. But there is also so much more to see and do in Munich.
Thank you, Kathleen (and Rick Steves) for opening my eyes to the world of art. YOLO!!