Page 128
96 Section 3. BERLIN. Emp. Frederick
e. The Emperor Frederick Museum.
This museum, situated to the N.W. of the last-mentioned, is not
directly accessible thence, but must be reached by a circuit via the Iron
Bridge and the Kupfergraben (8 min. from the Old Museum; comp. Plan,
p. 55).— Tramways: through the Charlotten-Str. (W.) see p. 145, through
the Museum-Str. and from the Kupfergraben see p. 70.
Admission, see p. 37. — Official Guide (3rd ed., 1905} 1/3^. Detailed
'Descriptive Catalogue of the Paintings' (6th ed., 1906) ljl, with 81
photographs 10*4(.
The **Emperor Frederick Museum (PI. R, 23), situated at
the N.W. end of the 'museum island', beyond the Stadtbahn, was
built by Ihne in 1898-1903 and opened in 1904. Two bridges, from
the Monbijou-Strasse (p. 145) and from the street Am Kupfergraben,
lead to the entrance, at the N.W. angle, opposite which rises the
equestrian Statue of Emperor Frederick III, by Maison. The
Italian baroque style has been adopted for the building, the two
chief fagades of which rise directly from the Spree and the Kupfer¬
graben , while the third is turned towards the Stadtbahn. The
corner with the entrance is rounded off into a semicircle; six mas¬
sive columns support its upper story, which is crowned by the main
dome. A smaller dome, above the rear staircase, rises over the
centre of the facade towards the Stadtbahn. On the attic are ten
statues by A. Vogel and Widemann, six of which represent the
Arts and four the most prominent Art Cities.
The museum contains the sculptures of the Christian epoch, the
picture-gallery, and the cabinet of coins, hitherto exhibited in the
Old and New Museums. To these have been added collections of
early-Christian, Byzantine, Coptic, and Persian-Mohammedan art.
The collections are not strictly divided from each other. The
27 rooms and cabinets on the groundfloor contain, on the N. side,
the early-Christian, Byzantine, Coptic, Romanesque, and Gothic
Monuments, on the S. side the German and Italian Sculptures, and
the Cabinet of Coins. But among the German sculptures a certain
number of easel-pictures are exhibited, while all the bronze and
most of the marble Italian sculptures are to be found on the first
floor. In the chief room on the groundfloor, moreover, are collected
the largest altar-pieces, both plastic and painted. The 45 rooms
and cabinets on the first floor are occupied by the picture-gallery:
on the N. side the Latin Schools (Italian, French, Spanish), on the
S. side the Germanic Schools (Dutch, German, Flemish). Along with
the former are exhibited the Italian bronzes, marble sculptures, and
glazed terracotta works (Delia Robbia), while with the others are
shown the collections of James Simon (presented in 1904), Adolph
Thiem (acquired in 1904), Wesendonk, and Carstanjen (both on loan).
Ground Floor.
The chief entrance admits us to the Great Staircase (PI. 1),
decorated in the style of the time of the Great Elector. In the