Since December 31, 2018, the Gallery of the Neue Pinakothek has been closed to the public for several years for structural reasons and extensive renovation work. A selection of masterpieces of 19th century art is currently on display on the first floor of the Alte Pinakothek (east wing) and in the Sammlung Schack.

King Ludwig I of Bavaria founded the Neue Pinakothek in the mid-19th century as the first public museum in Europe to be devoted exclusively to contemporary art. With this forward-looking initiative, the Bavarian king crowned his love and commitment to art and culture, which have shaped the character of Munich as a city of art to the present day. His collection, which was presented to the public in 1853 with the opening of the Neue Pinakothek, today includes masterpieces from Jacques Louis David and Francisco Goya, to Friedrich Overbeck, Caspar David Friedrich, Adolph von Menzel and Max Liebermann, to Gustave Courbet, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. The unique collection of 19th century art, appreciated by visitors from all over the world, is housed in the gallery designed by Alexander von Branca and opened in 1981, after the original building was destroyed by bombs in 1944/45.