It is worth noting right away that the Dresden Gallery exhibits paintings from the 15th to 18th century, i.e. exclusively by old masters: classicism, romanticism, baroque, rococo – these are the styles that one can get a complete picture of. Among the notable masters whose paintings can be seen in Dresden are:

Italians Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Messina, Peturicchio, Vecchio, Tiepollo, Tintoretto;
the French Poussin and Caravaggio;
Spaniards Velázquez, Murillo, El Greco;
Dutch artists Rubens, Rembrandt, Snyders, Van Dyck, and Bruegel;
the Germans Dürer, Rottenhammer, and Heinz.
The list of these names alone is fascinating: more than twenty notable artists, as well as the works of their students and followers, give a complete picture of the development of painting at this time. The museum’s exposition includes several paintings from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries that show us further trends in the development of painting, which is about to undergo a turning point and be dominated by modernist painters (their works can be found in such famous museums as the London National Gallery and the Museum of Law in Madrid).

Walking around the halls of the Dresden Gallery, I was interested to see how the skill of the artists was growing and how the fashion for subjects and styles was changing: from details to colorism, from religious and biblical themes to mythology and scenes from ancient Greece. The gallery has entire rooms devoted to portrait and landscape painting and altarpieces.

Masterpieces of the Dresden Gallery
It is impossible to list all the paintings collected in this museum, so I will give just a few examples of what you will find here, and for what it is worth coming here.

“Sistine Madonna,” Raphael
“The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael Santi is the painting that made this gallery famous. This painting is considered one of the master’s most outstanding works. The saint is depicted full-length in the picture with Jesus in her arms, she stands in heaven and as if she is taking a step forward towards the viewer. Her gaze is directed straight at you, so that it is impossible not only to pass by, but also to take your eyes away from this painting. Pope Sixtus II and Saint Barbara are also depicted. The painting vividly reflects the Madonna tradition from the turn of the century: the figure of the saint with the babe in her arms at the center of the canvas, with the saints and priests kneeling before Christ, with a free space in front of them always forming a triangle. The background looks deliberately theatrical. Thus, in Raphael’s painting, curtains appear, emphasizing the geometric precision of the composition and framing the scene, separating it from the viewer. In the foreground, we see two baby angels leaning thoughtfully on the picture frame. It is as if they are peering out of the heavenly world, thus separating the space of the painting from the earthly world.
Before visiting the Dresden gallery, I could not have imagined that a picture of the Madonna could make such a strong impression on me. However, when I saw the “Sistine Madonna” for the first time, I was struck by the energy of the painting. Many tourists look at the angels in the foreground – this fragment of the painting is so popular that the museum uses it for ticket design and also replicates it on numerous souvenirs – notepads, magnets, bags… People often come here to be convinced of the “curious fact” walking around the Internet that the artist depicted many heads of angels in the background, which merge and appear to be just clouds from a distance. However, after standing at the canvas for about half an hour, I was only looking at the Madonna herself: the simplicity and naturalness of her pose, delicate facial features and such a piercing look! Perhaps everyone should see the painting to be convinced of the striking power of classical art.

“Chocolatier,” Lyotard

This painting made much less of an impression on me. A relatively late work (1745), it seems surprisingly simple and unpretentious. On the canvas we see the image of a girl with a tray of hot chocolate and water in her hands. According to critics, this is not a portrait, but a genre scene showing an episode of everyday life of an ordinary poor girl. The picture seemed too simple and hence a little boring to me, though many people are won over by its simplicity of the plot. I can clearly note only the high skill Lyotard – the image is different almost photographic accuracy.

“Giorgione’s The Sleeping Venus

The famous painting depicts the goddess of love in a relaxed pose: she is asleep in a garden, in the shadow of a small rock. In the foreground we see finely painted draperies, and in the distance a landscape depicting a village and mountains. Giorgione did not have time to complete the painting, so it was finished by his pupil, Titian, who later used the same subject matter in his works. Later on many artists depicted their Venus in similar poses, thus quoting Giorgione. Everything in the painting is so peaceful and contemplative, it seems so quiet and harmonious. I was particularly struck by how finely the features of the goddess’s face are painted: her face really looks alive, and it seems that now a light breeze will blow and she’ll immediately wake up and go to the next village to have fun with a young couple in love.

“Holy Night,” Correggio

This painting depicts one of the most popular biblical scenes among artists – the shepherd’s worship of the newborn baby Christ. Famous for being the first significant night scene, when looking at the canvas, the sense of space is associated specifically with light. The artist manages to clearly contrast the foreground, where the shepherd talks animatedly with the maids, and the middle ground, where Mary enjoys the first joys of motherhood and is surrounded by the divine radiance emanating from Jesus. The mother and infant prove to be not only the geometric center of the picture, but also the light. Their figures are the most luminous on the canvas. I have always been fascinated by the ability of artists of the 16th-18th centuries to work with light and with the help of differently lit figures and objects not only to create volume and separate plans, but also to add hidden meanings and stories to works. This painting by Correggio is a vivid example of this skill!

“Caesar’s Dinarium,” Titian

Another painting with a biblical subject depicts the figures of Jesus and the Pharisee trying to outwit the prophet. The artist does not set out to depict the entire scene, he concentrates on the faces and gestures of the characters, their figures occupy the entire space of the painting. This, however, is enough to grasp the depth of the subject. Titian is amazingly accurate in reflecting the notions of good and evil, morality and baseness, purity and meanness in the characters. As a true master, he achieves the highest expressiveness in painting narrative portraits. This small painting really fascinates, beside it you want to stop for a moment and think – not only about the subject depicted here, but also about higher and eternal values, which represent these figures.