Glyptothek

Glyptothek, museum in Munich that houses a renowned collection of Greek and Roman sculptures owned by the Bavarian state.

The building, commissioned by the crown prince (later king) Ludwig of Bavaria and designed in the Neoclassical style by Leo von Klenze, was erected in 1816–30. It is part of the Königsplatz, a square of Neoclassical buildings that includes the Staatliche Antikensammlungen (“State Collection of Antiquities”); that museum specializes in Greek and Etruscan bronzes and vases and Greek and Roman glass, jewelry, and terra-cottas. The Glyptothek was damaged during World War II, but it was restored and reopened in 1972. It again underwent extensive renovations between 2018 and 2021, during which time the museum was largely closed.

Most of the core collection was acquired by Ludwig. It comprises Greek sculptures from the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods as well as Roman sculptures from the Imperial era. Notable pieces include the Barberini Faun (c. 220 bce) and the pediment sculptures (c. 500 bce) from the Temple of Aphaia in Aegina, Greece.