Travelogue: European Roadtrip Part 3 (Dresden, Germany)

Part 1 - Hamburg, Germany Part 2 - Berlin, Germany 
I learned to appreciate classical works of art at a very young age.    I remember it like it was just yesterday.  On a lazy Saturday morning, my brother  would randomly pick up a book of the Encyclopedia Americana and  enthrall me with pictures of The Last Supper,  the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel and the enigmatic smile of  Mona Lisa.  He'd tell me stories about the great Renaissance young masters,  how their techniques are unparalleled and how it would be a great joy to view these collection in real life. And so it has become my bucket list to see as many art as I possibly can.    Our trip to Dresden had one and only one goal: to see Raphael's cherubs. The treasure can be found at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meiste's Semper Gallery.


  Like most everyone, what I did not know is it's part of a bigger painting: The Sistine Madonna.  The cherubs were just lazily cozying at the bottom of the painting, grabbing all the attention instead of moving the eyes upwards to the painting's subjects.   I just sat there motionless for a good 15 minutes,  admiring the cherubs and how they got into their art superstardom status, wondering how these winged darlings became more famous than the painting they're a part of! Thanks to pop culture, they now now adorn almost everything from souvenir mugs,  umbrellas, countless repros and post cards.   

The museum also houses some Rembrandt's, Vermeer's, van Dyck's and Rubens so be sure to allow at least 3 hours to enjoy them thoroughly!




After the museum visit, we went to a cafe across and enjoyed some coffee  while waiting for our train to Prague.




Please join me next week as we take this roadtrip adventure to the beautiful Czech Republic!