Exhibition of a museum of art history or art historical museum in Vienna is located in two huge buildings located not far from each other. All exhibitions located in these two buildings are visited with one ticket. We only realized this when we bought the ticket, because the information on the Internet is presented in such a way that it seems that you need a separate ticket for each of these exhibitions. It will take a whole day to visit this museum.
The exhibitions are very extensive. This is one of the richest museums in the world. Both of these buildings were built under the penultimate emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Joseph. It was he who decided to bring together all the scattered collections of the Habsburgs and put them on public display. After the collapse of the empire in 1918, all collections became the property of the Austrian Republic.
The building located on Maria Theresa Square (Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Wien) houses:
- On the ground floor there is Kunskamera, which presents all sorts of interesting things like music boxes, wind-up toys, etc. - this is the earliest kunskamera in central Europe; information about its organization dates back to 1550. And the meeting ancient Egyptian, ancient Greek and ancient Roman art.
- The second floor is huge painting collection, which includes paintings by famous European painters - Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Anthony van Dyck, Pieter Bruegel and many others.
- Huge on the third floor numismatic collection.
In New Burg (Neue Burg Heldenplatz, 1010 Wien) there are:
- Ephesus Museum.
- Hunting and Armory Chamber.
- Vintage collection musical instruments.
- In addition, the headquarters of the OSCE mission is located in the same building, but they are not allowed there.
New Burg building All of the above can be visited with one ticket and it’s impossible to see everything quickly in one day, so it’s better to think in advance about which exhibitions to go to.
Adult 16€, children under 19 years old free. We offer a combined ticket for the Kunsthistorisches Museum + = 22€ (save 6€). There is an annual ticket - 44 €. The prices shown are valid for 2019. During the high season, long queues are possible at the museum and an electronic voucher provides a 5% discount in the museum gift shop, this is how Europeans are trying to encourage visitors to buy tickets online. In this case, the museum will be able to save on the maintenance of cashiers, and on printing the paper ticket forms themselves.
There are audio guides. 990 museum objects are described in German, English, Italian and French, and only 120 in Russian. The cost of using the audio guide is 4 euros.
In the souvenir shop you can buy books in Russian with descriptions of the collections, but prices start from 19 euros for a description of selected exhibits of only one Kunskamera, the same for a description of an art gallery and another 39 euros for a description of the works of the grandiose exhibition of Velazquez (it took place in 2016) . The museum always hosts very impressive exhibitions
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The building of the Kunsthistorisches Museum on Maria Theresa Square is a twin building. These two buildings stand opposite each other and are almost identical in architecture.
The interior of the Museum of Art History is also very good, one might say simply gorgeous.
Kunsthistorisches Museum - interior As in the Natural History Museum, there is a cafe under the central dome.
Kunsthistorisches Museum - cafe under the dome Gorgeous front staircase.
Kunsthistorisches Museum - main staircase Art of the Ancient World
The collection of Egyptian and Near Eastern treasures is considered one of the most significant in the world thanks to its representative collection of ancient Egyptian monuments from the Old Kingdom period (300 - c. 2270 BC). Sculptural portraits of pharaohs and high-ranking officials, animal sculptures, reliefs, stone and bronze figurines, amulets, jewelry, papyri, mummies, sarcophagi and other objects introduce us to the ancient civilization of the peoples of northeast Africa and Western Asia.
Hall dedicated to the art of ancient Egypt The collection of Greek and Roman antiquities is one of the most significant in the world, including ancient monuments culture and treasures of the era of the Great Migration of Peoples and the early Middle Ages.
Art ancient Greece 550 - 525 BC Gold jewelry is displayed in common rooms, no special rooms or storage rooms like we have in the Hermitage.
Exhibition of antique gold jewelry All the halls of the museum are decorated very elegantly, it is immediately noticeable that museum workers We thought through every detail of the decor of the walls, ceilings, and the location of display cases with exhibits.
The Gemma of Augusta is considered a significant treasure of the museum and is displayed in a separate display case.
Gemma Augusta. Not earlier than 10 AD, onyx All rooms have ideal lighting.
Exhibition of ancient Roman figurines Kunskamera
The exposition of the Kunskammer in Vienna is very different from the exposition of the Kunskammer in St. Petersburg. The Vienna Kunskammer contains amazing and precious products of human hands, no freaks preserved in alcohol, like ours.
Kunskamera exposition - gold devices Many halls are equipped with interactive screens where you can read about the exhibits in the hall in English and German languages.
So, for example, this large-scale ceiling painting is accompanied by a tablet, by poking your finger into it you can find out the names and who each of the characters in this huge painting was.
Ceiling painting in one of the halls 
Kunskamera exposition - bone product Picture gallery
It is prohibited to take photographs in the art gallery and its exposition is so rich that it makes no sense to include photographs. I will limit myself to only one that made the greatest impression on me. This amazing paintings Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a harbinger of surrealism, he painted these amazing allegories in the 1560s.
Examples of allegories from the 1560s cycles “The Seasons” Along with the permanent exhibition of paintings, the art gallery hosted a huge exhibition of works by Diego Vellasquez, he was a court painter to the Spanish king and painted large number portraits of the Habsburg family. The exhibition features several portraits of Infanta Margherita and famous painting“Las Meninas”, 59 variations of which I saw in Barcelona.
"Las Meninas" (1656, Prado, Madrid) The art gallery is very rich in immortal masterpieces; the entire second floor of the huge building is hung with paintings in several rows.
New Castle - Hunting and Gun Chamber
The collection of weapons and armor is considered one of the best in the world; the earliest examples date back to the 5th century. The collection was formed in 1889 as a result of the merger of the Imperial Arsenal with the collections located in Ambras Castle in Innsbruck.
New Burg or New Castle - interior This showcase displays the oldest pieces in the collection.
Ancient armor XIV century This was the first time I saw such pillows on a horse’s neck; apparently, they protected the horse in a collision with an opponent.
Knight at the tournament Some armors look like works of art, the finishing is so fine.
Armory Chamber The collection of armor is very interesting, for example, I didn’t know that there were armor with faces
Armor of Heinrich von Württemberg 1525-1530 Or these helmets with a fish face.
Armor helmet with fish head 
Armory Chamber Interactive screens are installed in the halls. On them you can see the history of knightly tournaments in medieval engravings. In addition to classic European armor, there is also a lot of Turkish military clothing, since Vienna often fought with Ottoman Empire and even one Japanese samurai armor.
Armory Chamber The hunting and gun chamber is many times larger than the knight's hall of the Hermitage, since the knights still lived in Western Europe and it is quite natural that large collections knightly armor developed in Europe.
New Castle - Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments
I admit honestly that we did not examine musical instruments, since this is very specific and we are far from being passionate about it. classical music, however, the harp looks great in the interiors of the palace.
Harp in the Museum of Musical Instruments New Castle - Ephesus Museum
The Ephesus Museum presents everything that was found during excavations of the ancient city of Ephesus, now located in Turkey. Excavations were carried out in 1886-1906; as many as 7 expeditions were sent with finds to Vienna. In Ephesus, of course, they wanted to find famous temple Artemis of Ephesus, which is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed more than once in ancient times and little remains of it, but marble statues and there was enough debris for the entire Ephesus Museum in Vienna.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is a very large collection of works of art from different eras, from the emergence of civilization in Ancient Egypt to the end of the 18th century. This is one of the largest collections in the world, which is quite natural, since all these collections were collected by the Habsburgs for almost 500 years. Art lovers are guaranteed to have great fun exploring the collection.
You can find out on my website. You no longer have to browse dozens of websites to find information about: what type of transport to choose (plane, train, bus,), all methods of transfer from Vienna-Schwechat airport, what to do in Vienna, what to see on your own, where you can download an audio guide, where to try the legendary Sachertorte and the slightly less famous Tafelspitz, All in one article, all the necessary links.
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The Kunsthistorisches Museum is Vienna's most visited attraction and a repository of the world's works of art. The museum is one of the five most significant and largest museum complexes in the world.
It was opened in 1891 and housed the imperial collections of paintings and sculpture of the Habsburg family.
The museum building contains 91 rooms, where collections of Middle Eastern and ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art are stored, as well as a huge art gallery with works of great European artists from the Renaissance to the present day.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum has a cafe where you can eat and relax, and a souvenir shop.
Exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna
The collection of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum includes tens of thousands of exhibits, which are divided geographically and by historical periods.
The most extensive exhibition of the museum is the halls Middle Eastern and Ancient Egyptian art. This collection is among the world's most important collections of Egyptian artifacts and numbers 17,000 items. Most of the exhibits date back to the period from 3500 BC. e. before the beginning of the Christian era.
The collection is divided into four large parts:
- objects of worship (religious and funeral),
- cultural history,
- sculpture,
- writing.
Among the main exhibits of the halls are a preserved ancient Egyptian chapel from the Old Kingdom, sarcophagi and mummies, including animals, copies of the Book of the Dead, steles and fragments of walls with hieroglyphs, figurines of gods, as well as household items (clothing, sculptures, etc.). ).
In the halls of ancient themes there are artifacts not only Ancient Egypt, but also Ancient East- Babylon, Arabia and Mesopotamia.
The following extensive collection is dedicated to art of ancient Greece and Rome. The time frame for the origin of its exhibits is also wide - from 3000 BC. e. until the Middle Ages.
There are over 2,500 works of art in this section of the museum. Among them are antique jewelry, cameos, vases and amphorae, busts and statues of generals and famous people, as well as objects of everyday life and religion of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Among the large exhibits, the sarcophagus of an Amazon warrior and the statue of a man in full height, found in Cyprus, bronze tablets with inscriptions and other valuables.
The entire second floor of the Kunsthistorisches Museum occupies art gallery, which was based on a collection of Habsburg paintings, supplemented and increased over the years by priceless canvases.
The main paintings of the gallery date back to the 16th-17th centuries: Venetian painting represented by Titian and Veronese, early Netherlandish painting, represented by the works of Jan van Eyck, Roger van der Weyden and other masters, Flemish and German painting represented by artists P. P. Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach and others.
The pearl of the gallery is the rich collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, of which few have survived in the world.
In the halls of the art gallery you can also see world-famous works by artists Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Raphael, Giorgione and other prominent representatives of eras and styles.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna houses one of the world's largest collections of everyday objects decorated in the style of its era. This section is called "Kunstkamera" and includes luxury items different periods history and countries. These include gold jewelry, statues and kitchen utensils, as well as bowls, watches and other items. The most famous exhibit is the Benvenuto Cellini salt shaker, made of gold and valuable wood.
On the top floor of the building there are numismatic collections- various coins dating over a wide time frame - from antiquity to the present day, and classified by country of origin. The coins of ancient states are of the greatest value here, but there are also rare coins of the New Age, which are unique relics of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum.
All halls and rooms of the museum are decorated in a luxurious Baroque style, with arcades, columns and stucco, which adds elegance to the temple of art. The entrance to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is via a grand marble staircase, which from the threshold immerses visitors in the atmosphere of historical realities and sets them up to get acquainted with beauty.
Ticket price for the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna in 2020
The cost of a ticket to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna depends on the age of the visitor and is designed for a full day stay on site.
- Children under 19 years old admission to the museum is free,
- students up to 25 years old, pensioners after 65 years - 12 €,
- adults — 16 €.
There are also annual passes to visit the Museum of Art History. Their price is 44 €. Such tickets are valid throughout the year and provide multiple entries into the territory and access to the exhibition.
Can be rented separately audio guide, which is available in several languages, including Russian. Rental cost:
- audio guide — 5 €,
- two at a time(for families, friends, etc.) – 7 €,
- for families (2 adults + up to 3 children) — 8 €.
Prices may vary. You can find out the latest information and purchase a ticket online, avoiding queues at the ticket office, on the official website of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
How to get to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is located on one of the central streets of the Austrian capital, so getting to it is not difficult.
One of the most convenient and quick ways is metro: the museum is located next to two stations on different lines - U2 (Museums Quartier station), line U3 (Volkstheater station). Each of them is a 10-minute walk away.
From ground transport it will be most convenient bus: Route No. 57A stops almost at the museum, it will take you 5 minutes to walk. The bus stop is called Burgring. The stop of the same name, located a little further, is a tram stop. To get to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, you need to take trams No. 1, 2, 71 and D. Then walk - no more than 5-7 minutes.
You can also get to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna by car: There are parking spaces nearby. Or you can use the services of mobile applications Taxi: Uber, Kiwi and others.
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna - Google Maps panorama:
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Message quote Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna) part 1
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna)
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum) Like its twin brother, the Natural History Museum, it was designed by the architects Gottfried Semper and Karl von Hasenauer to house the imperial collections. It was opened in 1891 and today is one of the largest art museums in the world.
The exhibition of the Kunsthistorisches Museum or Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is housed in two huge buildings located not far from each other.
Building on Maria Theresa Square
In a building standing on Maria Theresa Square (Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Wien) posted:
On the ground floor located Kunstkamera, which displays all sorts of curious things such as music boxes, wind-up toys, etc. - this is the earliest cabinet of curiosities in central Europe; information about its organization dates back to 1550. AND collection of ancient Egyptian, ancient Greek and Roman art.
On the second floor huge painting collection, which includes paintings by famous European painters - Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Anthony van Dyck, Pieter Bruegel and many others.
On the third the floor is huge numismatic collection.
In New Burg (Neue Burg Heldenplatz, 1010 Wien) located:
1. Ephesus Museum.
2.Hunting and Armory Chamber.
3. Collection of ancient musical instruments.
4.In addition, the headquarters of the OSCE mission is located in the same building, but they are not allowed there.
The exhibitions are very extensive. This is one of the richest museums in the world. Both of these buildings were built under the penultimate emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Joseph. It was he who decided to bring together all the scattered collections of the Habsburgs and put them on public display. After the collapse of the empire in 1918, all collections became the property of the Austrian Republic.
Building of the Art and History Museum on Maria Theresa Square is the twin building of the Natural History Museum. These two buildings stand opposite each other and are almost identical in architecture.
The interior of the Museum of Art History is also very good, one might say simply gorgeous.
As in the Natural History Museum, there is a cafe under the central dome.
Kunsthistorisches Museum - cafe under the dome
Gorgeous front staircase.
Kunsthistorisches Museum - main staircase
Art of the Ancient World
The collection of Egyptian and Near Eastern treasures is considered one of the most significant in the world thanks to its representative collection of ancient Egyptian monuments from the period of the Old Kingdom (300 - c. 2270 BC). Sculptural portraits of pharaohs and high-ranking officials, animal sculptures, reliefs, stone and bronze figurines, amulets, jewelry, papyri, mummies, sarcophagi and other objects introduce us to the ancient civilization of the peoples of northeast Africa and Western Asia.
Hall dedicated to the art of ancient Egypt
Collection of Greek and Roman antiquities It is one of the most significant in the world, including ancient cultural monuments and treasures from the era of the Great Migration of Peoples and the early Middle Ages.
Art of Ancient Greece 550 - 525 BC.
Gold jewelry is displayed in common rooms, there are no special Diamond and Gold storerooms like we have in the Hermitage.
Exhibition of antique gold jewelry
All the halls of the museum are decorated very elegantly; it is immediately noticeable that the museum workers thought through every detail of the decor of the walls, ceilings, and the location of display cases with exhibits. The Gemma of Augusta is considered a significant treasure of the museum and is displayed in a separate display case.
Gemma Augusta. Not earlier than 10 AD, onyx
Exhibition of ancient Roman figurines
Kunstkammer in Vienna (Kunstkammer)
Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is based on the ground floor of the main museum building on Maria Theresa Square. Please do not confuse it with the treasury of the Hofburg palace complex (Schatzkammer) located across the road.
Here are collected rarities from the former treasury and "Cabinet of Curiosities" of the Habsburg Dynasty. The collection is one of the largest cabinets of curiosities in the world and represents jewelry from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque eras.
Among other jewels, for the first time in last decade the famous one is exhibited again salt shaker Benvenuto Cellini :
Benvenuto Cellini "Saliera". 1543 Gold, enamel. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
An impressively sized tabletop figurine made of pure gold was listed in art history textbooks under the name “Saliera”, which in plain English means “salt shaker”. Unfortunately, for the last ten years this textbook masterpiece of the late Renaissance has not been exhibited for completely objective reasons. It all started when the figurine was stolen in May 2003. Straight from the museum and practically in broad daylight. Only after three years of fruitless searches did the Austrian police manage to discover the stolen jewel buried in the forest. Upon returning to the museum, the first thing the salt shaker went for was restoration. Meanwhile, the Kunstkamera itself was closed for repairs. As a result, the public got the opportunity to see Benvenuto Cellini’s creation again only now, almost ten years after the abduction.
Many halls are equipped with interactive screens where you can read about the exhibits in the hall in English and German. For example, some exhibits are accompanied by a tablet; by poking it with your finger you can find out the name and who each of the characters was.
Picture gallery
The art gallery presents countless masterpieces of Western art, including Raphael's Madonna in Green, portraits of infantines by Velazquez, works by Vermeer, Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Titian, and Tintoretto. The museum has the world's largest collection of Bruegel paintings.
Tizian (1488-1576), 1554 Danae
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) The 3 Graces, 1622
As well as amazing paintings by the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (Italian: Giuseppe Arcimboldo) a harbinger of surrealism, he painted these amazing allegories in the 1560s.
Lovers of fine art need to go to Vienna for at least a week, because there are museums and galleries in Austrian capital- a great many. At the same time, masterpieces of painting seem to be deliberately exhibited in different places: the famous “ Last Judgment"Bosch - in the galleries of Academic Arts, "Madonna in the Green" by Raphael in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and works by Gustav Klimt - in several city galleries at once.
However, there is salt in this, because when you examine the huge exhibition of the Hermitage, the Louvre or the Vatican Museums, many experience an inevitable intoxication with art, that same feeling when it seems like a sin not to go into the next room, but at the same time has already arisen feeling of “overeating with beauty.”
In the case of Vienna, everything is arranged just right - most of the exhibitions can be viewed in less than an hour. So you get pleasure from visiting the museum, but at the same time there is no oversaturation. The main thing is to know exactly what/where is exhibited, so as not to miss works of art that are important to you specifically. We have compiled a selected guide of museums and galleries in the Vienna capital for those interested in painting.
GUSTAV KLIMT COLLECTION— BELVEDERE
The beautiful 18th-century Baroque palace complex is located on a hill to the southeast of the city center, so the view of the center of imperial Vienna is truly impressive. The Belvedere was built by Eugene of Savoy, and then the palace was bought by the Austrian Archduchess Maria Theresa. The palace ensemble consists of two buildings, between which there is a garden.
In 1781, one of the first public museums in the world was opened in the Upper Belvedere. Today it is worth going here to see one of the most complete collections of works by Gustav Klimt, including the famous “The Kiss”.
The collection of Klimt’s works occupies several halls of the gallery, here is the beautiful “Judith”, and “The Lady in the Hat”, and the unfinished work of the master “Adam and Eve”. Taking photographs in the Upper Belvedere is prohibited; gallery workers monitor this very meticulously. But in the Lower Belvedere, filming is allowed, and paintings are already on display here contemporary artists.
But, first of all, you need to go to the Lower Belvedere in order to admire the palace interiors: the Golden Hall with numerous mirrors and the Marble Hall, decorated with frescoes by Altomonte Martino, are worthy of your time and attention.
"THE LAST JUDGMENT" BY BOSCH— GALLERY OF THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
The Academy of Fine Arts, of course, is primarily an educational institution, but it has a gallery in which 250 paintings are exhibited. First of all, it’s worth visiting here to see with your own eyes the triptych “The Last Judgment” by Bosch.
The main part of the museum's collection consists of works by masters of Flemish and Dutch schools painting XVII century, in addition to the famous work the great and terrible Jerome, in the gallery you can see “Boys Playing Dice” by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, landscapes by Francesco Guardi, “Tarquinius and Lucretia” by Titian, one of the versions of “Saint Cecilia” by Rubens and “Dedication of a Witch” by David Teniers the Younger.
“MADONNA IN THE GREEN” BY RAFAEL, ARCIMBOLDO, DUTCH AND ITALIAN CLASSICS— KUNIT HISTORY MUSEUM OF AUSTRIA
Italy long time was under the rule of the Austrians, so a lot of works were brought to Vienna Italian masters Renaissance period. The most significant collection is presented in the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum, which also houses paintings by Titian, Perugino, Paolo Veronese and Caravaggio.
WITH Dutch painting at the Kunsthistorisches Museum everything is also very good, here you can see the famous “Tower of Babel” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, works by Jan van Eyck and Bosch. The fact is that the Austrian Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, who lived in the seventeenth century, during his stay in Flanders, actively replenished his personal collection with works by Dutch and Flemish masters, which later became the basis of the museum’s collection.
But, most importantly, the Kunsthistorisches Museum presents 4 paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo: “Winter” and “Summer” from the “Seasons” series, as well as “Fire” and “Water” from the “Elements” series - for lovers famous portraits of vegetables and fruits, we advise you not to miss this museum.
ON OUR WEBSITE YOU CAN ORDER THEMED TOURS TO VIENNA MUSEUMS
PICTURES BY HUNDERTWASSER— VIENNA HOUSE OF ARTS
While 90 percent of Vienna's guests come to see it, not everyone makes it to the House of Arts, also built according to the artist's design from a former furniture factory. But in vain! It is both atmospheric and interesting here. Firstly, the building itself is made in recognizable style Friedensreich Hundertwasser: there are almost no right angles, but there are a lot of colorful details, ceramics and, of course, greenery. Secondly, the exposure is excellent.
The first two floors of the museum are reserved for a permanent exhibition of Hundertwasser's works - after all, he was first and foremost a painter, and only then an architect. The other two halls host temporary exhibitions of artists whose philosophy and views on art are consonant with those preached by Hundertwasser. By the way, when you look at Hundertwasser’s paintings, it immediately becomes clear what exactly the designers of the Viennese house Frey Willi are inspired by when creating their jewelry collections.
EGON SCHIELE COLLECTION— LEOPOLD MUSEUM
Those who want to continue studying the works of Gustav Klimt and for whom the Belvedere collection is not enough should go to the Leopold Museum, which opened in the Austrian capital in 2001. “Life and Death” and “Danae” by the founder of Austrian Art Nouveau are exhibited here. However, main reason go to the Leopold Museum - an opportunity to get acquainted with the most complete collection of works by Egon Schiele - the most famous representative Austrian expressionism.
After the death of Klimt, Schiele was predicted to become the most influential artist in Austria, but it did not work out - Egon Schiele died six months after Gustav Klimt. The life of a talented painter was taken by the infamous Spanish flu; Schiele died at the age of 28, three days after the death of his pregnant wife Edith. The artist had a presentiment of his own death, and it was not for nothing that he painted a poignant painting “Family”, in which he depicted himself, his wife and their child, dying from a terrible disease that claimed the lives of millions of people at the beginning of the 20th century.
A museum was created based on the private collection of Rudolf and Elisabeth Leopold, the government of the country purchased 5,000 works of art from collectors, and today the Leopold Museum is the most visited in the museum quarter of Vienna.
BEHIND THE DRAWINGS OF BOSCH, DA VINCI AND RAFAEL— ALBERTINE GALLERY
Vienna's most visited gallery boasts a magnificent collection of graphics and drawings from the last 1000 years: the collection includes exhibits from the Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. The collection began to be collected in the eighteenth century by Duke Albert of Saxony-Teschen, a great lover of art who lived in Bratislava, and his heirs - also archdukes - subsequently tirelessly replenished the collection of graphics.
The collection became public domain in 1919, and today in the Albertina’s exhibition you can see real rarities for a true connoisseur, for example, drawings by Hieronymus Bosch, including the famous “Beehive and Witches”, graphics by Picasso, Klimt, drawings by Rembrandt and Italian Renaissance masters : Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.
BEHIND MEDIEVAL ILLUSTRATIONS— NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRIA
Remember in the movie “The Ninth Gate”, the collector leafs through the devil’s book and says that it was made “as God himself ordered, not like now”? To make sure that the words of the film character are correct, take a look at the Austrian National Library, where books dating back to the Middle Ages are stored.
The library hall looks just like in the cartoon “Beauty and the Beast” - a million works in huge cabinets made of valuable wood, which tend to the ceiling decorated with frescoes. The place is amazing in its atmosphere; you can spend a whole hour in the small library hall just standing with your mouth open in admiration, looking at the endless rows of books, statues and huge globes, one of which, by the way, shows a map of the constellations. But since today we are talking about fine arts, then we will mention the color medieval engravings and prints that adorn the pages of ancient books.
The books are laid out open under glass; most of the illustrations, of course, are on biblical theme, but when you look at the ones that have not faded at all since the Middle Ages bright colors, breathtaking, and head goes all around. By the way, it is in the National Library that the delightful “Naked Truth” by Gustav Klimt is located.
BEHIND CLIMET AND THE SCULPTURE OF MAX KLINGER— VIENNA MUSEUM ON KARLSPLATZ
The museum on Karlsplatz used to be called the Museum of the History of Vienna, which is completely true - within its walls the entire history of the capital of Austria is presented, starting with the first settlements on the banks of the Danube. Of course, the main part of the exhibition is dedicated to the Habsburgs, but on the third floor there was also room for a collection of paintings and objects art of the 19th century- XX centuries.
Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past editor-in-chief Internet project elle.ru and editor-in-chief of the website cosmo.ru. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]The great treasures of the Habsburgs became the basis of many of Vienna's museums, each of which amazes not only with its outstanding collections, but also with the architecture of the buildings in which they are housed. In the year of cultural tourism Russia-Austria, ARTANDHOUSES has compiled its guide to the most significant art collections Austrian capital.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The great collection of art collected by the Habsburgs is presented here in all its diversity. The museum is divided into three parts. The right wing of the second floor displays Roman, Greek and Egyptian antiquities and sculpture; on the left, in the so-called Kunstkamera, there are objects of decorative and applied art of the 13th–19th centuries from all over the world (the most famous among them is the golden “Salier”). The most spacious third floor of the museum building is occupied by a collection of old masters, making the museum, along with the Louvre and the Hermitage, one of the main ones in the world. The pride of this part of the collection is the largest selections of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Dürer, Rembrandt and other artists.
Albertina
The world's largest collection of graphics by old masters, impressionists and modernists, was founded in the 18th century by Albert of Saxe-Teschen, the son-in-law of Maria Theresa. Thanks to his excellent taste, there is a collection of drawings by Leonardo and Michelangelo, Durer and Raphael, Rubens and Rembrandt, and Bosch. The collection is still growing, and not only graphic works, but also paintings contemporary artists who exhibit regularly. Since opening after global reconstruction in 2003 Albertina It has also become famous for its blockbuster exhibitions, produced by the museum itself. In recent years, powerful retrospectives of Titian, Raphael and Renoir, Bruegel and Durer have been held here.
Leopold Museum
The museum, based on the collection of ophthalmologist Rudolf Leopold, is located in the famous museum cluster in the former royal stables in the heart of Vienna. It can be considered a museum Austrian art XX century - this is where the collector’s focus was. And it is this art, like his first names - Gustav Klimt and, that form the main core of the collection. The permanent exhibition, which rotates twice a year, also features masterpieces by Oskar Kokoschka, Koloman Moser and other local artists. Various exhibitions of contemporary art, both Austrian and international, are also regularly held here.
MUMOK
The second most important (and most visited) institution in the MuseumsQuartier museum cluster. This museum of contemporary art is also known by its second name - Ludwig Museum. Peter Ludwig, the famous chocolate magnate from Cologne, scattered his legendary collection all over the world (he donated part of it to the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg), but it seems that Vienna got the most. There is no permanent exhibition here, but every six months they come up with a new exhibition concept for a huge collection of world art of the 20th–21st centuries, from Dali to Warhol, Maria Lassnig and the Viennese actionists. Along with its own collection, MUMOK simultaneously displays two or three temporary exhibitions of current artists.
Kunsthalle Wien
This one is huge exhibition hall- the third exhibition platform in MuseumsQuartier and, perhaps, the most radical. It hosts experimental exhibitions of contemporary artists from different countries, explores the subcultures of world capitals, organizes performance festivals and alternative music concerts. IN Kunsthalle For example, monographic shows of such artists as Camille Henrot, Isa Genzken, Leigh Bowery and others took place.
Belvedere
This palace complex is called the Viennese Versailles or the Viennese Peterhof. It, like its French and Russian counterparts, was built during the Baroque period as a summer residence, has a fantastic park with fountains and is associated with royal stories, from Prince Eugene of Savoy to Empress Maria Theresa. Today it is the main repository of historical art in Austria, from the Middle Ages to the Secession. Tourists flock here from all over the world to admire “The Kiss” and “Judith” by Gustav Klimt, “The Embrace” by Egon Schiele and funny busts by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. The ensemble of the complex is divided into Upper Belvedere And Lower. In the solemn Upper, the treasures of Austrian art are demonstrated, and in Nizhny temporary exhibitions are held. In recent years, the classical museum has begun to pay attention to and, so don’t be surprised if you see works by Jeff Koons, or, in the lobby, exhibition or park.
21er Haus
This museum of modern art is part of the Belvedere association - that’s why large-scale projects 21er Haus can be continued in the parks of the palace, and sometimes inside the Baroque walls. The museum building is the former Austrian pavilion, built by the architect Karl Schwanzer for the World Exhibition in Brussels in 1958. It would have been criminal to destroy an avant-garde building with references to constructivism, and the Austrians moved it at the end of the exhibition to the area of the railway station, which was then almost the outskirts of Vienna. Today, this fantastically beautiful space hosts large-scale exhibitions and retrospectives of contemporary artists, as well as street art exhibitions in the adjacent garden.
MAK
Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna - one of the best in the world in its category. Here they know how to present such sad exhibits as tables, chairs and dishes to the public in a fun way. This is largely due to its former long-term director Peter Noever, who was more obsessed not with design, but rather with contemporary art. To decorate the museum halls, he invited contemporary artists, who literally assembled numerous exhibits of decorative and applied art and furniture of the 19th and 20th centuries into exciting total installations. Based on them, undoubtedly, studying the history of world design of this period is much more interesting.
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Vienna Academy fine arts - just like the Venetian one, a collection of old masters. It is based on the collection of Count Lamberg-Sprinzenstein: in 1822 he donated more than 800 paintings to this educational institution. Over the next two hundred years, the collection expanded with other gifts and today has nearly doubled in size. Having climbed several floors of the existing educational institution, you will come face to face with the masterpieces of Rubens, Bosch, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Titian, the Little Dutch and other authors.
Palais Liechtenstein, Garden Palace
At the turn of the 17th–18th centuries, the luxurious Baroque palace was considered only the summer residence of the Princes of Liechtenstein on the outskirts of Vienna, but today it is located practically in its center - just a few tram stops from the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Until recently, it worked as a museum, but today you can get there by appointment, and there is a reason for it. The palace, with its gigantic ballroom frescoed by Johann Michael Rothmayer, displays masterpieces from the princely collection, which continues to grow today: from Botticelli and Quentin Masseys to the largest collection of Rubens and European decorative arts.
Palais Liechtenstein, City Palace
In 2013, the second one was opened to the public. princely palace in Vienna - City, where a large family stays today. Viewers (also by appointment) have access to the most magnificent rooms of the building, designed by Domenico Martinelli in collaboration with the Swiss Gabriel de Gabrieli at the beginning of the 18th century. The interiors are decorated with powerful draperies, huge bronze chandeliers with rock crystal pendants, soft sofas with woven pillows with patterns from the Rococo era, repeated in gilded elements of mirror and picture frames, ceiling and wall stucco, covered with a triple layer of gold leaf. On two accessible floors, a rich Biedermeier collection is exhibited with works by the main representatives of the style - Ferdinand Waldmüller, Carl Spitzweg, Moritz von Schwind and other artists, as well as furniture, dishes and graphics of that era.
Hofburg
One of the largest palace complexes in the world, the construction of which lasted from the 13th to the 20th centuries, was the home of the Habsburgs until 1918, and today it is fragmented into several museum institutions and the residence of the President of Austria. The most famous museums in the composition Hofburg- The Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Treasury attract tourists primarily with collections of artifacts from the life of the legendary dynasty and a collection of decorative and applied art from different centuries and countries. Among the highlights are the crown, spear and sword of the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, one of the largest emeralds in the world, furniture and decor of the 16th–19th centuries.
Schönbrunn
The summer imperial residence was rebuilt many times until Maria Theresa decided to settle in it thoroughly and ordered it to be remodeled in a lush Baroque style with references to Versailles in Paris. In fact, the skill of German, Italian, French and English cabinetmakers, glassmakers and other court artisans of the 18th century can today be seen in all its splendor in the forty rooms of the palace open to visitors. Plus a huge park with Italian garden sculpture and the world's first zoo, along whose alleys the young Mozart walked.
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
Like any museum in the city, it is a museum of everything. Thousands of historical artifacts include topographic maps and models of the city, household utensils and furniture, paintings and sculpture and many other things characterizing the life and customs of the townspeople, starting from the first settlements here during the Neolithic period. The museum is especially proud of its own collection of great names of Austrian and German painting - Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Ferdinand Waldmüller and others.
Bank Austria Kunstforum
This largest exhibition hall is located in the building of the postmodernist architect Gustav Peichl in the center of Vienna and, as the name suggests, belongs to the main Austrian bank. The latter uses it not at all to demonstrate its own art collections, but to display retrospectives of world classics of the 19th and 20th centuries. Among large-scale exhibitions recent years there are exhibitions of Aivazovsky, Picasso and many others.
Weltmuseum
Opening at the end of October, it occupies an entire wing of the Hofburg imperial residence in the center of Vienna. He is the new reincarnation ethnographic museum, famous for his collections archaeological antiquities and minerals from around the world, including, for example, finds from James Cook's expeditions. Unique items of the Aztecs, applied art - wood, bronze, ivory - from different centuries and continents are stored here.
Secession
Incredibly beautiful White House with a golden dome, as if woven from tree branches, is the quintessence of Viennese Art Nouveau, an exhibition pavilion called Secession House. It was erected in 1897–1898 on the initiative of artists famous architect Joseph Olbrich and since its creation has been used to display the works of Art Nouveau artists. The main attraction inside is Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze, written at the very beginning of the 20th century. Today, it also hosts exhibitions, mainly of contemporary artists from different countries.
If you don't like the works of Ernst Fuchs, one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an art movement in post-war Austria, then you need to visit his museum, if only because it is located in the famous house built by Otto Wagner. The architectural pearl of Art Nouveau, or Art Nouveau, was erected by the famous architect for his family in 1888 and decorated according to all the canons of the style. famous masters era.
KUNST HAUS WIEN - Museum Hundertwasser
"Vienna House of Arts" was opened in 1991 by the Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. In fact, the founder dedicated the space to himself: on two floors, his many whimsical works are exhibited, mixed with expressionism, surrealism and the fantastic buildings of Gaudí. Temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists are also held here, and nearby is the famous asymmetrical and colorful residential building designed by Hundertwasser and which has become one of the symbols of Vienna.
Hofmobilendepot
Furniture Museum has been operating since 1924 and presents outstanding examples of almost all styles and trends, from Gothic to Art Nouveau. It is based on the imperial collection, represented here by individual items and entire rooms, such as the apartments of Princess Sissi, beloved by the Austrians, or the so-called Egyptian Cabinet, an empire masterpiece that belonged to Empress Marie Louise.
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