The painting The Temple of Concordia at Agrigento by the Munich architect and painter Leo von Klenze (1784–1864), recently gifted to the Nationalgalerie, is an important addition to its collection. Leo von Klenze was first and foremost an architect, but he was also a considerable draughtsman and painter.

In their endeavours, both men relied on the lively interchange between science and art: Leo von Klenze used archaeological sources to create his idealised landscape paintings, while Karl Richard Lepsius used artists and artistic media to convey the visual appearance of his archaeological discoveries.

By juxtaposing Lepsius’ plates and Klenze’s painting of the Temple of Concordia, the exhibition exemplifies the harmonious exchange envisioned by Friedrich Wilhelm IV when he declared the Museum Island to be »a sanctuary of art and science«.

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