The Gemäldegalerie (painting gallery) owns one of the world's most important collections of European painting from the 13th to the 18th century, which has been systematically built up and completed since the year of its foundation in 1830. Masterpieces from all periods of art history, including paintings by van Eyck, Bruegel, Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer are exhibited here.

The new building at the Kulturforum offers an exhibition area of around 7,000 square meters. An almost 2 km long tour with 72 halls and cabinets leads through individual art landscapes and epochs. The collection focuses on German and Italian painting from the 13th to 16th centuries and Dutch painting from the 15th to 16th centuries.

Old German painting of the late Gothic and Renaissance periods is represented by renowned artists such as Konrad Witz, Albrecht Dürer, Baldung Grien, Cranach and Holbein. The room with Rembrandt paintings is highlighted by its central location in the museum. With 16 works by the artist, the collection is one of the largest and of the highest quality in the world.

It is flanked by other paintings of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting. Portraits, genre paintings, interiors, landscapes and still lifes testify to the artists' specialization in certain subjects.

Italian, French, German and English painting of the 18th century is presented in six rooms. The rich collection of paintings includes works by Canaletto, Watteau, Pesne and Gainsborough. About 1,000 masterpieces are exhibited in the main gallery. It is complemented by a study gallery on the basement floor with about 400 paintings.