Despite its name, the Scharf Collection – one of the most significant collections of late 19th and early 20th century art in Germany – was began by the insurance executive Otto Gerstenberg. His daughter Margarethe Scharf managed to keep most of the collection safe during the Second World War, and her sons Walther and Dieter built on the works Gerstenberg bequeathed them by acquiring Surrealist paintings as well as works by artists including Monet, Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso. Though it focuses on the five painters mentioned in the show’s title, this exhibition at the Alte Nationalgalerie also includes work by other artists from the period as well as contemporary painters such as Katharina Grosse and Daniel Richter, acquired by Gerstenberg’s descendants (24 October–15 February 2026). A set of prints by Toulouse-Lautrec, including an image of a dancer looking quizzically at the viewer, is one of the highlights.
Find out more from the Alte Nationalgalerie’s website.
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