Masterpieces of Baroque art return to the New Palace after 30 years!

Masterpieces of Baroque art return to the New Palace after 30 years!

On July 16, 2025 the time had finally come: The Upper Gallery in the New Palace in Potsdam reopened its doors to art-loving visitors after more than 30 years. With this reopening, five important Baroque works of art will be made accessible to a wide audience. The room, which was once impassable to the public and closed due to static problems, now shines in new splendor and attracts attention with its Italian masterpieces.

The core of the exhibition is the restored paintings by renowned artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Guido Reni and Luca Giordano. These masterpieces, especially the two works by the versatile painter Gentileschi, offer exciting insights into the art of the Baroque era. Her picture “Bathsheba in the Bath” from 1635-45 and “Lucretia and Tarquinius” from 1627-1630 are just a few highlights that now finally adorn the walls of the gallery. It was a complex undertaking to put the originals that Frederick the Great had installed in the wall paneling back in their place in 1768.

Restoration and financing

Over the last six years, a lot of commitment has been put into restoring the works of art. Various restorers and over 860 hours of work were involved. Thanks to third-party funding from foundations, including the Rudolf-August Oetker Foundation, the extensive restoration, which was completed by 2023, was realized. The exacting treatment of the images included cleaning and retouching techniques as well as the careful restoration of the frames, which were decorated with fine gold leaf.

The floor protection measure represented the second major challenge, as the historic parquet floor is not allowed to be walked on. Instead, a bridge structure was installed that allows visitors to admire the works of art from a certain distance. The Upper Gallery thus remains a free entrance to the treasures of Sanssouci Park, which remained untouched during the renovation work.

Visitor information

The gallery is open daily from April to October, from Wednesday to Monday between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and from November to March until 4:30 p.m. For an entrance fee of 14 euros (reduced 10 euros), art lovers can admire the baroque splendor to their heart's content. For the very curious, there is also additional in-depth information about the gallery and the works on display in the SPSG app “SANSSOUCI”.

The reopening of the Upper Gallery is not only a joy for art lovers, but also a small cultural-historical event, as Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer aptly stated. This return of the Baroque masterpieces, which played an important role in the artistic landscape under Frederick the Great, brings a breath of fresh air to the regional sights and is sure to attract many interested visitors to Brandenburg's magnificent sites.

So it remains to be hoped that the gallery with its precious works of art not only awakens old memories, but also attracts new lovers of art and culture. Because the baroque masterpieces definitely deserve to be in the spotlight again.

For more detailed information about the exhibition and the works of art, those interested should go to the platforms of Tagesschau and [SPSG]. In addition, Restauration Kunst Art offers interesting insights into the technical details of art restoration.