Grünes Gewölbe: Duke Anton Ulrich visits Dresden

Duke Anton Ulrich visits Dresden. Treasury art objects from the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Brunswick

Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1633-1714) was one of the outstanding personalities of the Baroque era. In his wide-ranging artistic interests and his desire to create spaces specifically for the presentation of his art collections, he resembled his contemporary, Elector Friedrich August I of Saxony (1670-1733), also known as August the Strong.

Exhibition Site Residenzschloss

DATES 13/06/2012—07/10/2012

After the dedication of his pleasure palace (Lustschloss) at Salzdahlum in 1694, Duke Anton Ulrich gradually expanded it by adding numerous rooms to house his collections, such as the Große Galerie. Likewise, in 1723, under the auspices of August the Strong, work began on expanding the Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden Palace into a new treasure chamber.

In this exhibition in the Sponsel-Raum of the Neues Grünes Gewölbe selected items of treasury art from the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum are being shown in Dresden for the first time. The exhibits comprise mainly sculpture, ceramics and stone-cutting art, so that they correspond particularly well with the works held in the Grünes Gewölbe. In addition, the exhibition casts light on the collecting interests of earlier generations of dukes of Brunswick, focusing attention on Duke Julius (1528-1589) and his son Heinrich Julius (1564-1613).

The works on display give an impression of the multifaceted collection assembled by Anton Ulrich and his sons. The vessel made of rare Medici Porcelain, the outstanding enamel medallion/the supremely crafted tankard carved out of rhinoceros horn and the unusual figure of Hotei, the Japanese god of good fortune, reflect the diversity of the duke's interests. Among the highlights of the exhibition are the bust of Anton Ulrich and the ivory sculptures by Balthasar Permoser, who was in the service of the electors of Saxony from 1690 onwards and whose works were also very popular with the dukes of Brunswick.