The exhibition Das alles bin ich (I Am All That!) presents the generous gift of some 200 works that art collector Christoph Müller has made to the Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings). The works on paper – drawings, prints and watercolours – not only show a broad panorama of visual themes spanning five centuries, but also reflect the influences on the collector and his interests. One aspect of the collection at a time will be featured in four successive presentations. The presentation beginning on 10 March 2026 focusses on the diversity of art’s engagement with nature.

Portraits and plant studies, harbours and history paintings, landscapes and genre scenes: This exhibition shows the entire spectrum of an extraordinary collection. A fascinating cross-section of European art history unfolds within works from early modern history to the present. The exhibited works on paper originate from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and France – telling of people and nature, history and everyday life, beliefs, feelings and the power to create. Representations of figures and nudes are on view, as well as seascapes, nature studies, animals, forests and quite a lot more.

A selection of Müller’s generous gift will be presented to the public from 20 May 2025 to 14 June 2026 in four changing displays in the “Kabinett in der Galerie” space at the Gemäldegalerie (Old Masters Paintings). The first presentation,A World of Words and Images, which was on display from 20 May to 24 August 2025, referenced Müller’s endeavours as a publisher and critic, as well as his passion for art and collecting. Encounters was dedicated to the depiction of people and their relationships from 26 August to 30 November 2025. On Travelling and Being At Home, the third presentation, showed a selection of the most beautiful landscapes from 2 December 2025 to 8 March 2026. The last part of the presentations will be shown from 10 March 2026:

Leaf by Leaf – A Life with Art

10 March to 14 June 2026

Animals, plants, trees and forests – a wealth of graphic images, drawings and watercolours render the diversity of art’s engagement with nature. Depictions of nature in art can serve as a source of knowledge, as a means of preserving beauty, or as a reflection of divine creation. Nature and animal studies rely on precise observation, attesting to the desire to understand and capture the world around us. In some works, nature takes on a symbolic character ‒ as a symbol of growth, transience, and life. It is also a place where people can connect with themselves and the world.

Past Presentation

A World of Words and Images

20 May – 24 August 2025

Encounters

26 August – 30 November 2025

On Travelling and Being At Home

2 December 2025 to 8 March 2026

About the Collector Christoph Müller

Christoph Müller (1938–2024) was a German publisher, theatre and art critic, art collector and patron, who made many generous gifts to public museums during his lifetime. As the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of the Schwäbisches Tagblatt, he shaped the German media landscape from 1969 to 2004. Müller’s passion for art is reflected in an impressive collection of works from various epochs and regions. He collected across the board, led by individual and personal preferences, as well as sound connoisseurship

His penchant was for 16th and 17th-century Dutch art. In 2007, he gave the Kupferstichkabinett a significant collection of 370 Dutch and Flemish drawings and prints from the 16th to 18th centuries. With the current gift all collection areas of the Kupferstichkabinett’s holdings are being appreciably enhanced and enriched

Christoph Müller died in Berlin in 2024, at the age of 86. The exhibition should be understood as recognition of his impact in supporting the arts, as a sign of gratitude and an invitation to share his joy in art ‒ a thought that continually motivated him.

Curators

The exhibition was jointly conceived by Kupferstichkabinett curators:
Dr Dagmar Korbacher, director and curator of Italian and French Art before 1800
Dr Mailena Mallach, curator of German Art before 1800
Dr Christien Melzer, curator of Dutch and English Art before 1800
Dr Andreas Schalhorn, curator of Modern Art
Dr Anna Pfäfflin, curator of 19th Century Art
Claudia Lojack, curatorial assistant

A special exhibition of the Kupferstichkabinett at the Gemäldegalerie ‒ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin