Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art in Munich: Information and tips

Why the Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art is worth a visit:

Does Poseidon make you think of a Greek restaurant and Hermes of parcels? It's time to get to know the legendary world of the Greeks and Romans: With free admission and until 8 p.m. on weekdays!

What's there to see? Around 2000 replicas of Greek and Roman sculptures and reliefs stand side by side. The copies look exactly like the originals in size and appearance. Many ancient artefacts and objects were destroyed during wars or were privately owned. The Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art makes lost art visible to everyone. Aphrodite, Zeus, Julius Caesar, the Parthenon model or portrait busts: The abundance of sculptures and reliefs is impressive and unfolds its full effect in the rooms with their high ceilings.

What's special? Learn how to draw the easy way: The Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art is the perfect place to study proportions.

Exhibition highlights: Masterpieces of ancient art

The collection includes a rich spectrum of ancient sculptures from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD. Masterpieces of ancient art, such as the famous Laocoon, the Winged Victory, the Heracles Farnese and many more, can be studied from a very close perspective. Outstanding individual pieces are:

• The plaster model of the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis: The 1:20 scale model is over four meters long and provides a comprehensive view of the architecture of the Acropolis in the 5th century BC.
• The Arch of Constantine in Rome from the 19th century: The Roman Senate had the honorary arch errected after Constantine the Great's victory over Maxentius in 312 AD. The museum's 1:20 scale model was created in the 1880s.
• Cast of the Doryphoros statue: For its creator, the sculptor Polykleitos, this work of art from the 5th century BC embodied the ideal human being with ideal proportions. The original bronze statue was lost, but it was copied many times (as shown here).
• The Discobolus of Myron: This is a reconstruction of a lost statue from the 5th century BC based on mere fragments of Roman copies. A fine example of how important casts are as research objects to visualize ancient fragments and remnants.

In addition to the extensive permanent exhibition, there are also regular special exhibits on archaeological, art-historical and cultural-historical topics or with and about contemporary artists.

Free admission and guided tours

• Admission to the Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art is free. 
• Every two weeks, usually on Tuesdays, there are also free public guided tours on various topics.

Children's program

Together with the Museum Education Center (MPZ), the museum organizes a colorful and exciting children's program with workshops, family days and vacation programs.

Events

At the "Antikes Duett" lecture series, which the Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art organizes together with the Münchner Volkshochschule, antiquity is brought to life with the help of historical images and texts.

Other events such as readings, concerts and dance performances are also regularly on the program.

Building architecture

The Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art is located in two atriums and the galleries of the "Haus der Kulturinstitute", which is also home to the Art-Historical Research Institute and four other art and cultural institutions. The building was constructed around 1934-1935 and used to serve as an administrative building for the NSDAP. The architect was Paul Ludwig Troost.

Museum history

The Gallery of Plaster Casts of Ancient Art has an eventful history: It was founded in 1869 as one of the first public collections in Bavaria and was located in Munich's Hofgarten Arcades. The museum soon grew to become one of the largest collections of its kind in Germany.

It was temporarily closed in the 1930s as the "Degenerate Art" exhibition was shown on the premises. After being almost completely destroyed during the Second World War in 1945, the collection was rebuilt in the House of Cultural Institutes, particularly from the 1970s onwards. Today it is once again one of the four largest German collections of casts of ancient sculpture.