Founded in 1830, the Gemaldegalerie houses the main body of paintings belonging to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Unlike most European national collections, the Gemaldegalerie's was not formed around that of the Royal family - instead each piece was acquired with the intention of creating a true reflection of European art history. As a result, the Gemaldegalerie holds one of the world's leading collections of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Here the viewer can find examples of all schools and styles of European painting from the Late Middle Ages to the conclusion of the Baroque tradition. The German collection is arguably the most comprehensive in the world, and the Early Netherlandish and Italian collections are also exceptional. The collection includes instantly recognisable masterpieces from such artists as Durer, Holbein, van Eyck, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Caravaggio and Vermeer, with especially renowned Rubens and Rembrandt groups.
