The Kunsthalle Museum is an art attraction in Hamburg, which is housed in three buildings connected to each other. The idea of creating such a unique place appeared in 1817 from a group of art lovers. But only in 1846 they received a plot of land for the construction of the museum. The project of the future building was developed by architect Georg Theodor Schirrmacher, as well as Hermann von der Hude.
By 1869, a brick building appeared, which was named the Kunsthalle Museum. All expenses necessary for the construction of the building were borne by the citizens of Hamburg, and the museum collections were enriched only thanks to the donations of rich people's works of art. One of the most important roles in the establishment of the museum was played by the city financier Gustav Christian Schwabe, who donated 128 paintings to the Kunsthalle.
By 1886, the museum was able to acquire some paintings on its own. When Alfred Lichtwark took over as director, the Kunsthalle's collections were significantly increased, over a thousand paintings were purchased, books, medals, sculptures and coins were collected. Nineteenth-century painting played a special role for the Lichtwark, which is why the museum had a collection of artworks by such talented artists as Max Liebermann, Andres Zorn, Pierre Bonnard and Lovis Corinth. Among the exhibitions in the Kunsthalle are works by the classics of German Romanticism.
In the 20th the museum was greatly expanded, by 1921 a shell limestone wing with an unusual green dome was added. The architect Fritz Schumacher was responsible for the creation of this addition. The museum is divided into several parts, including a gallery of old masters, classical modernism, a hall of nineteenth-century paintings, an exhibition of prints and a gallery of modern art.
