When is the exhibition “My Own, My Treasure” open?

The exhibition is open from November 12, 2026, to March 12, 2027, Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 8 PM. It remains closed on weekends and public holidays.

What is the admission fee?

Admission to the exhibition is free.

Where does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition is located in the North Courtyard on the first floor of the Central Institute for Art History, Katharina-von-Bora-Straße 10, 80333 Munich.

Are there guided tours of the exhibition?

Yes, free public tours will be held during the duration of the exhibition. Due to limited participant numbers, registration is required.

Is the exhibition accessible for people with disabilities?

Access to the building is partially barrier-free. For specific questions about accessibility, the Central Institute for Art History is available.

What is on display in the exhibition?

Original graphics and books from the 16th to 19th centuries as well as 19th-century photographs are on display. The development of illustrated collection catalogs from early relic books to the digital catalog is addressed.

Discover illustrated collection catalogs and experience how art history became visible

Name: “My Own, My Treasure” – Art in Illustrated Collection Catalogs Since 1500
Start: 2026-11-12T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-03-12T20:00:00+01:00
Location: Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte

How Illustrated Collection Catalogs Wrote Art History

The exhibition “My Own, My Treasure” at the Central Institute for Art History in Munich opens up a often underestimated form of art communication: the illustrated collection catalog. From November 12, 2026, to March 12, 2027, the exhibition shows how books, graphics, and photographs since the 16th century spread, evaluated, and inscribed artworks into the cultural canon.

Between Ownership, Knowledge, and Public Perception

Collection catalogs were far more than just directories of private treasures. They made artworks known across national borders, enabled comparisons, and influenced both aesthetic evaluation and the art market. The exhibition traces this development from early ecclesiastical relic books to the digital catalog of the present day.

Historical Books as Independent Works of Art

In the North Courtyard of the Central Institute, visitors encounter original graphics and books from the 16th to 19th centuries from the ZI library, as well as 19th-century photographs from the institute's own photo archive. Large-format catalogs vividly illustrate how color printing and facsimile reproductions fundamentally changed the representation of art.

New Perspectives on Collecting

The curation also focuses on the competition between princely and bourgeois collections, as well as the previously less noticed role of female collectors and printmakers. Thus, the exhibition connects art history with questions of power, visibility, cultural education, and the emergence of value judgments.

Exhibition Opening and Tours

The opening takes place on November 11, 2026, at 6:15 PM and will be accompanied by an introduction from Ulrich Pfisterer as well as scientific impulses from Astrid Bähr, Antoinette Friedenthal, and Thomas Ketelsen. During the duration of the exhibition, free public tours with members of the exhibition team are planned; due to limited capacity, registration is required.

An Art Experience Between Original and Reproduction

The exhibition invites a special consideration of works: Not only the depicted artworks but also the catalogs themselves appear as historical media with their own materiality, design, and spatial effect. Paper, print image, color, and photographic precision open up an aesthetic experience that shows how much our knowledge of art is shaped by its reproductions.

Conclusion: “My Own, My Treasure” connects art historical research with a sensual encounter with rarely shown books, graphics, and photographs. Those who want to understand how art is collected, disseminated, evaluated, and remembered will experience an enlightening exhibition with a lasting art experience at the Central Institute for Art History.