A Journey through French Art and Beyond: The Scharf Collection at Alte Nationalgalerie

written by Gentiana Kolnrekaj

Art doesn’t belong to those who own it, but to everyone. And that is exactly what the Scharf Collection at the Alte Nationalgalerie represents: a private collection made accessible to the public.

Considered one of the most important private collections of Germany, it primarily features French art from the 19th and early 20th centuries and it is being exhibited to the public for the very first time. Built across four generations of collectors, the collection stands as a truly noble and beautiful family legacy.

Among the many works on display, from Goya to Cézanne and Bonnard, I found myself returning more than once to the pieces by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and to the paintings by Claude Monet.

I couldn’t believe the extent of Toulouse-Lautrec’s works on display. Seeing so many of his most iconic figures gathered together in a single room is almost overwhelming. From the ballerina Jane Avril to the club owner Aristide Bruant, the atmosphere feels unmistakably that of the Moulin Rouge, making you feel like one of the attendees Lautrec himself used to portray.

Monet’s paintings, on the other hand, invite slowness. They ask you to pause, to look again, to move closer and then step back, allowing light and color and shape to gradually reveal themselves. In the context of a private collection built over generations, his works feel like moments of quiet continuity.

Claude Monet, Waterloo Bridge, 1903, Öl auf Leinwand, 65 x 100 cm © The Scharf Collection, Ruland Photodesign

Other amazing works by Goya, Renoir and Degas and also a very large Bonnard collection are on display, too.

Picasso and Braque impress the visitors and mark a decisive turning point, showing how art evolves from that moment onward toward contemporary forms. The presence of Sam Francis, Natalia Grabowska, and Katharina Grosse makes the exhibition feel not only historically rich, but also surprisingly forward-looking and fresh.

Katharina Grosse, o. T., 2000, Acryl auf Leinwand, 216 x 314 cm © The Scharf Collection, Foto: Olaf Bergmann / VG Bild-Kunst

Before leaving the exhibition, we went back to Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters, as if they were asking for one last look. 

Scharf Collection - Alte Nationalgalerie
Oct 24, 2025 - Feb 15, 2026