The exhibition offers a reunion with familiar faces alongside rare discoveries, showcasing works from the realms of Old German, Early Netherlandish, and Flemish painting from the 16th and early 17th centuries. Visitors can expect surprises as different facets of storytelling in painting are illuminated. The presentation raises questions such as: How, what, and by whom are stories told? What purposes do artists and patrons seek to achieve at different times, and who is the intended audience? Are these intentions always clear, or do viewers sometimes find themselves intentionally misled? These inquiries form the core of this exhibit where appearances can be deceiving.

At the center of the late medieval and Renaissance Madonna depictions is the spectacular new acquisition of Hans Baldung Grien's 'Maria als Himmelskönigin,' which will be presented to the Munich audience for the first time.