In 2023, Duke Franz of Bavaria celebrates his 90th birth-day. For six decades, the head of the House of Wittelsbach - as an important advisor and patron—has been closely associated with Bavarian museums. Even as a young man, the then Prince Franz turned to contemporary art at a time when it was still struggling for recognition. With foresight, he recognized the boldness and sometimes raw beauty of these “unkempt paintings,“ as he once described them. In 1984, he donated a large part of his private art collection to the Wittelsbach Settlement Fund with the stipulation that it be made accessible to the public. With this donation, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen acquired a unique collection of German art from the 1960s and 70s, including early works by Gerhard Richter, Georg Baselitz, Sigmar Polke and the painter Palermo, who died young in 1977. They form the starting point of an exhibition in honor of Duke Franz, whose interest in contemporary art continues to this day.

The exhibition “Unkempt Paintings” features works by Georg Baselitz, Joseph Beuys, Heinz Butz, Matthias Dornfeld, Hedwig Eberle, Philip Gröning, Ioan Grosu, Franz Hitzler, Jörg Immendorff, Annette Lucks, Imi Knoebel, Oscar Koester, Palermo, A.R. Penck, Erwin Pfrang, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Florian Süssmayr, Norbert Tadeusz, Rudi Tröger, Katharina von Werz, Maria Zerres, and many more.

Pinakotheken München