“Das alles bin ich!” Christoph Müller’s Gift, Part 2

The works on paper – drawings, prints and watercolours – not only show a broad panorama of visual themes spanning five centuries, but also reflect the influences on the collector and his interests. One aspect of the collection at a time will be featured in four successive presentations. The presentation beginning on 26 August 2025 focusses on people, interpersonal relationships and encounters.



Portraits and plant studies, harbours and history paintings, landscapes and genre scenes: This exhibition shows the entire spectrum of an extraordinary collection. A fascinating cross-section of European art history unfolds within works from early modern history to the present.


The exhibited works on paper originate from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and France – telling of people and nature, history and everyday life, beliefs, feelings and the power to create. Representations of figures and nudes are on view, as well as seascapes, nature studies, animals, forests and quite a lot more.


A selection of Müller’s generous gift will be presented to the public from 20 May 2025 to 14 June 2026 in four changing displays in the “Kabinett in der Galerie” space at the Gemäldegalerie (Old Masters Paintings). The first presentation A World of Words and Images, which was on display from 20 May to 24 August 2025, referenced Müller’s endeavours as a publisher and critic, as well as his passion for art and collecting.

Encounters

26 August – 30 November 2025


The second presentation, Encounters, focuses on depictions of people and interpersonal relationships. Some of the featured artworks show moments of togetherness, such as social events, mutual exchange, or shared glances. The images depict romantic liaisons, domestic scenes, and social interactions, and reflect the personality of a tireless collector who nurtured numerous friendships and loved parties.

These are juxtaposed with portraits, figurative representations, and detailed studies that centre the individual. Whether pictured in silent contemplation or facing the viewer, these subjects are a testament to the reality that human existence is constantly oscillating between proximity and seclusion, between moments of shared experience and periods of solitude.



Further Presentations

On Travelling and Being At Home

2 December 2025 – 8 March 2026

Leaf by Leaf – A Life with Art

10 March – 14 June 2026

About the Collector Christoph Müller

Christoph Müller (1938–2024) was a German publisher, theatre and art critic, art collector and patron, who made many generous gifts to public museums during his lifetime. As the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of the Schwäbisches Tagblatt, he shaped the German media landscape from 1969 to 2004. Müller’s passion for art is reflected in an impressive collection of works from various epochs and regions.


He collected across the board, led by individual and personal preferences, as well as sound connoisseurship. His penchant was for 16th and 17th-century Dutch art. In 2007, he gave the Kupferstichkabinett a significant collection of 370 Dutch and Flemish drawings and prints from the 16th to 18th centuries. With the current gift all collection areas of the Kupferstichkabinett’s holdings are being appreciably enhanced and enriched.


Christoph Müller died in Berlin in 2024, at the age of 86. The exhibition should be understood as recognition of his impact in supporting the arts, as a sign of gratitude and an invitation to share his joy in art ‒ a thought that continually motivated him.




A special exhibition of the Kupferstichkabinett at the Gemäldegalerie ‒ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin