Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna. Quench your thirst for knowledge at the Kunsthistorisches Museum

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (Vienna, Austria) - exhibitions, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.

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Vienna is rightfully recognized as the cultural capital of Europe - its museums attract millions of tourists a year. One of the largest collections is collected in the Museum of Art History: the variety of exhibits on display fully reflects the cultural life of mankind since the times of Ancient Greece and makes it possible to study the development of art in different parts of the world. Even the museum building itself evokes admiration among visitors: the façade is skillfully decorated with sandstone, and the interior rooms are decorated with marble and plaster stucco.

The collection began with private collectors - the imperial house of Habsburg - back in the 15th century. The museum received official status in 1889.

A little history

Soon after its opening, its halls displayed works by Titian, Rubens, Jan van Eyck, Poussin and Claude Monet. But until 1918, the collections remained private and became public property only after the end of the First World War. During World War II, the museum building was seriously damaged by bombing, but the Austrians took out the works of art and hid them even before the outbreak of hostilities. In 1959, the halls were reopened to visitors.

What to see

The greatest interest for connoisseurs is the collection of paintings; here you can see the works of masters of the 14th-18th centuries. The works of Bruegel the Elder especially stand out: it is in the Vienna Museum that paintings from his “golden period” are concentrated. For example, the famous cycle “The Seasons” and “The Tower of Babel”.

Currently, the collection is divided by country: the cultural life of France, Italy, England, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries is reflected. The pearls of the collection are the iconic masterpieces “The Adoration of All Saints of the Trinity” by Durer, “Lucrezia” by Veronese, “Madonna in the Green” by Raphael Santi, “The Four Great Rivers of Antiquity” by Rubens.

A separate niche contains works of art from the Mannerist era. There are always a lot of visitors in the halls with exhibits from the times of the Ancient World and Ancient Egypt, where the interiors are stylized as Egyptian temples and tombs. Another hall is dedicated to the Kuntskamera, and the latter contains more than 700 thousand various numismatic objects: coins, paper money, checks, bonds, orders and all kinds of insignia.

Practical information

Address: Vienna, A-1010 Wien, Burgring 5.

You can get there by metro: line U2, stop. Museumquartier; trams: D, J, 1, 2, 46, 49, stop. "National Museum".

Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00, except Thursday (until 21:00), Monday - closed. Cost of visit: 15 EUR, audio guide: 5 EUR. Website (English) Prices on the page are as of November 2018.

The content of the article

MUSEUM OF ART HISTORY IN VIENNA(Kunsthistorisches Museum) - one of the largest museums in the world, whose collection contains famous masterpieces of Western European art, was opened on October 17, 1891. Currently, it is the property of the state, is under its protection, and is administered by the Ministry of Culture.

The museum project was developed by architects Karl Hasenauer and Gottfried Semper. The museum building is one of the twin buildings included in the museum ensemble, built in 1871–1891. The Museum of Art History and the Museum of Natural History stand on two sides of the square, in the center of which is the majestic monument to Empress Maria Theresa by Zumbusch.

The main building of the museum includes 91 rooms, where there is a collection of oriental and Egyptian antiquities, a collection of ancient monuments, works of Western European sculpture, a numismatic cabinet, as well as a world-famous art gallery.

HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM CREATION

The art collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum was originally a private collection of the Austrian Imperial House. Emperors, kings, and archdukes from the Habsburg dynasty collected works of art starting from the 15th century.

A fundamental contribution to the formation of the modern museum was the activity of Archduke Ferdinand II (1529–1595), stadtholder (governor) of Bohemia in 1547–1563 and ruler of the Alpine lands in 1564–1595, who assembled his collection at Ambras Castle according to truly museum standards. Subsequently, the best things from this collection were taken to Vienna.

Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612) established an art gallery and a Kunstkamera in Prague Castle, where he moved the capital of the empire. Most of all, Rudolf II admired the works of Albrecht Dürer and Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which are now the pride of the Vienna Museum. Later, the most significant items were transported to Vienna, which became the capital of the Austrian Habsburg Empire, which included almost all of Central and Southern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, including the Southern Netherlands.

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm (1614–1662) is considered the founder of the Vienna Museum. From 1647 to 1656, the Archduke was stadtholder (governor) of the Southern Netherlands. In Brussels, which at that time was the center of the art trade, he acquired picturesque values. After the fall of Charles I, extensive collections of the English aristocracy (Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Arundel), as well as some paintings from the collection of King Charles I, which were purchased by Leopold William, were brought from England after the fall of Charles I for auction. In a short time he created the best art gallery in Europe. His collection included paintings by Giorgione, Titian, Veronese, Andrea Mantegna, Tintoretto, Jan van Eyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens.

During the reign of Empress Maria Theresa (1717–1780), it was decided to improve the art gallery: following the ideas of enlightenment, the artistic treasures were opened to the public, and a new systematization of the collection was made. For this purpose, the most artistically significant works of art were brought from all the palaces, residences, and castles that belonged to the empress. For the first time, the exhibition was based on a historical principle: the paintings were grouped by national schools and hung in chronological order.

The imperial collections were available to the public even before the official opening of the Museum of Art History, but were scattered in different places. The Imperial Art Gallery was formerly located in the Upper Belvedere Castle, the collection of Egyptian, Oriental, Greek and Roman art, Renaissance objects made of gold, bronze and ivory, as well as works of the Baroque era - in the Lower Belvedere Castle. Many masterpieces of decorative art, including dynastic regalia and family jewels of the Habsburgs, were kept in the treasury of the Hofburg, the imperial palace. Several halls of the Hofburg housed coins and medals, as well as collections of minerals, shells and other natural wonders, which are now part of the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum).

Even before the official opening of the Kunsthistorisches Museum by Emperor Franz Joseph (1830–1916) in 1891, its various departments were reclassified and made available to visitors. First among them was the armory (Leibstrammer), a memorial to Austrian military glory, with armor and weapons. Nowadays the military collection (Waffen-Samlung) is exhibited in the Court, Hunting and Armory halls of Neueburg Castle, which is an outbuilding of the old Hofburg Castle. In the Hofburg, in turn, the Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments, the Ephesus Museum and other exhibitions are open. These collections, as well as the collections in Stalburg, Schönbrunn Castle and Ambras Castle near Innsbruck, although scattered, form a single property of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

In 1918, the Vienna Museum, like all Habsburg collections, was expropriated and became a state property.

The museum building was heavily damaged during the Second World War, but the monuments were mostly removed and hidden in 1939. In 1959 the museum was again opened to visitors.

PICTURE GALLERY OF THE MUSEUM OF ART HISTORY

The most significant part of the Museum's collection is the art gallery. It is considered the fourth largest in the world and includes paintings of exceptional value by Western European artists from the 14th to 18th centuries.

Dutch art section

15th–16th centuries includes works by the luminaries of Northern Renaissance painting - Jan van Eyck (c.1390–1441), Rogier van der Weyden (1399 or 1400–1464), Hugo van der Goes (c.1440–1482), Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525/ 1530–1569).

Jan van Eyck: Cardinal Niccolo Albergati(c.1431), Jeweler Jan de Leeuw(Leeuva) (1436).

Rogier van der Weyden owns the altarpiece Triptych with crucifix(c.1440-1445), and Hugo van der Goes - a diptych Original sin And Lamentation of Christ (1475).

The world's largest collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is of enormous value - half of the entire surviving heritage of the 16th century Dutch artist. (15 works). The most significant works of the painter are landscapes that were originally part of the cycle Seasons of six paintings (1565): Return of the Hunters(Winter), Cloudy day (Spring Eve), Return of the Herd(Autumn), as well as two compositions on a rural theme: Peasant wedding And Peasant dance(c.1568).

Flemish painting

The museum features a collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Jacob Jordaens (1599–1641), and Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641). Peter Paul Rubens: Altar of St. Ildefonso (1630–1632), Portrait of Elena Fourman, usually called Coat(c. 1638), Self-portrait(c. 1639).

Jacob Jordaens: Bean King Festival(c. 1638).

Anthony van Dyck: Prince Ruprecht (with Great Dane), Prince Karl Ludwig of the Palatinate (1631/1632), Portrait of a warrior gilded armor(c. 1624), etc.

Section of Dutch painting

the museum is small, but full of genuine masterpieces by Frans Hals (1580/85–1666), Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669), John Vermeer of Delft (1632–1675), and Gerard Terborch (1617–1681).

Frans Hals: Portrait of a man(c. 1654).

Gerard Terborha: Lady peeling an apple (1661).

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn: Portrait of the artist's mother (1639), Large self-portrait (1652), Small self-portrait(c. 1657) and Portrait reading Titus(c. 1656).

Late painting by Johannes Vermeer of Delft In the artist's studio(c. 1665) often called Allegory of painting.

Section of German art

filled with masterpieces of the Renaissance: Albrecht Durer (1471–1528), Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553), Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543) and others.

Of the eight works of Albrecht Dürer, the following should be highlighted: Portrait of the Emperor Maximilian I (1519), Mary with baby(1512) and one of the artist’s main works - an altar image Adoration of all saints of the Trinity (1511).

Lucas Cranach the Elder: Deer Hunting by Elector Frederick the Wise (1529), Judith with head Holofernes(c. 1530).

Hans Holbein the Younger: Portrait of Jane Seymour, Queen of England (1536),Portrait of a young merchant (1541).

The Italian collection is famous for its abundance of names and masterpieces of the Renaissance, 17th–18th centuries: Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), Raphael Santi (1483–1520), Giorgione (c. 1477–1510), Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (c. 1490 –1576), Paolo Veronese (1528–1588), Tintoretto (1518–1594), Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) and others.

Andrea Mantegna: St. Sebastian(c. 1460).

Rafael Santi: Madonna in green (1505).

Among several paintings by Giorgione (Giorgio da Castelfranco), the central place is occupied by the painting Three philosophers(c. 1508).

Titian: altarpiece This man (1543), Portrait of Jacopo de Strada (1567–1568).

Paolo Veronese: Lucretia (1580).

Tintoretto (Jacobo Robusti): Susanna and the elders(c. 1560).

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi): Madonna with rosary(c. 1607) and David with Goliath's head(c. 1606).

Collection of Spanish paintings.

The main decoration is the work of Diego de Silva Velazquez (1599–1660). The court painter of the Spanish kings painted numerous portraits of the king, his children, and courtiers: Portrait of the Infanta Margherita-Theresa (1659), Portrait of King Philip IV (1652–1653).

DEPARTMENT OF ANCIENT EGYPT AND ANCIENT EAST

The Egyptian collection of the Vienna Museum is not only one of the largest in the world, but also one of the oldest. Works of ancient Egyptian art began to flock to Vienna even before the pan-European interest in Egypt, which arose after Napoleon's military campaign in 1798. The oldest exhibit was acquired back in the 16th century, and by the first quarter of the 19th century. the collection consisted of almost 4,000 items. In the 20th century the main revenues came from archaeological research by Austrian scientists, especially in the necropolis of the Cheops pyramid in 1912–1929. The Vienna collection is of great importance for its excellent examples of sculpture from all periods of the history of Ancient Egypt. These include deeply realistic portraits of pharaohs, sculptures introducing us to important dignitaries, and meticulous depictions of animals. The halls contain a collection of reliefs, architectural fragments, figurines made of stone, bronze, wood and other materials, sarcophagi and objects of funeral rites, papyri, scarabs, amulets, and jewelry.

The museum halls in which this collection is located take us to the world of Ancient Egypt, not only because of the rich collection, but also thanks to the decorative and finishing works that brilliantly imitate the interior decoration of temples of that era. The architects used three original granite columns (c. 1420 BC), and also decorated the halls with paintings that replicate the frescoes of the burial chambers.

DEPARTMENT OF ANCIENT ART

The antique collection includes Greek, Etruscan and Roman treasures, as well as treasures from the Great Migration era of the early Middle Ages, found during archaeological excavations. From the 16th century coins, medals, and carved stones were collected. In the 18th century scattered collections scattered throughout the vast Habsburg Empire were united, and archaeological expeditions of the 19th century. significantly enriched this section of the museum with objects of sculpture and architecture.

The crown jewel of the antiquity department is a series of unique cameos. Ptolemaic cameo(274–270 BC), made of nine-layer onyx, this masterpiece of Hellenistic glyptics depicts portraits of a married couple from the Ptolemaic dynasty. Gemma Augusta(end of the 1st century BC) - two-layer onyx of Roman work amazes with its multi-figure composition. Often, jewelers of subsequent eras used the works of their predecessors: Italian masters of the 16th century. decorated an antique cameo with a precious frame Eagle(27 BC).

The sculpture is represented by statues made of marble and bronze: Aristotle's head(4th century BC), Amazon sarcophagus(4th century BC), found in the 16th century. In Cyprus.

An interesting large collection of gold and silver items from the era of the Great Migration of Peoples, found in the 18th–20th centuries. in Europe: finely crafted jewelry, decorated with precious stones, a variety of vases and goblets.

KUNSTKAMERA

The exhibition of this department continues the collection of art of the early Middle Ages, covering the entire period of the European Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, Rococo eras - up to the beginning of the 19th century. The core of this department was formed in the 16th–17th centuries. A group of the most significant exhibits comes from the treasury of German kings and emperors of the Middle Ages, the so-called. "imperial treasury" Items from this “golden pantry” clearly express the religious orientation of medieval art, while simultaneously continuing many traditions of the ancient world, the Ancient East, and Germany: Griffin-shaped jug(12th century). The museum has two excellent examples of medieval art: Madonna of Krumau(ca. 1400), Madonna by sculptor Riemenschneider(approx. 1500). Applied art in this section includes a variety of bowls, goblets, watches made of crystal, gold, precious stones and pearls in elaborate, luxurious shapes. The most famous exhibit is Salt shaker Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1572), made by the author (1540–1543) from gold, partially enameled, ebony for the French king Francis I. The Kunstkamera displays tapestries of the finest work, woven from wool and silk in the first half of the 18th century. Small-sized figurines and complex 17th-century ivory sculptural compositions amaze with their grace, sophistication and virtuosity of execution.

In 1891, the Kunsthistorisches Museum opened in Vienna. Although in fact it existed already in 1889.

Who designed it?

Huge and in the Renaissance style, it immediately became one of the calling cards of the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The museum, following the example of other similar institutions in Europe, was designed on the basis of royal collections of works of art. The building was designed and built by the most famous European architect Gottfried Semper.

He tried to introduce elements inherent to the Roman Empire into the interior of the buildings, which greatly pleased the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, who saw in this a hint of the continuity of the glory of the Holy Roman Empire.

Where is?

The Art Museum in Vienna is located on the square next to a beautiful well-kept park, and there is also a monument to the Empress.

The Habsburgs, starting from the fifteenth century, collected family portraits. In addition, many emperors of this monarchical dynasty bought paintings by the most famous artists of their time. When there was practically no place to fit the collection of paintings, the emperor came up with the idea of ​​​​building a separate building to store the rarest works of art. Moreover, everyone will have the opportunity to see antique sculptures and other valuable exhibits collected over the centuries by the Habsburg dynasty. The paintings became available for public viewing under Maria Theresa.

Description

The museum building is truly grandiose. The triangle-shaped structure is crowned by a magnificent dome with a diameter of sixty meters. Inside there are ninety-one museum halls, not counting utility rooms. In front of the majestic and beautiful building there is a large, well-kept lawn, on which grow shrubs, skillfully trimmed into the shape of circles, cylinders and the like.

They are scattered across the lawn, there is no clutter of greenery, which gives the space in front of the museum a very refined, elegant look. The large-scale building itself is worthy of admiration, let alone the art treasures collected in it.

Exhibits

The exhibits were transported to the Vienna Museum of Art History from other Habsburg treasuries. Thus, from the Kunstkamera, located in Prague Castle, some paintings collected by Emperor Rudolf II were transported to Vienna. Priceless canvases became the most picturesque exhibition of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

The paintings collected by Archduke Ferdinand II were delivered from Ambras Castle. Leopold Wilhelm, as governor of the Southern Netherlands, bought paintings at an auction in Brussels. And over time, he collected the most extensive and meaningful collection of paintings by outstanding masters of painting - Rubens, Tintoretto, Titian, Van Eyck and others. The Museum of Art History brought famous paintings and other works from many castles, palaces, and art galleries belonging to the Habsburgs.

The Austrians were able to preserve their priceless treasures during the First and Second World Wars. The museum exhibits expropriated in 1918 were transferred to the state. The building of the Museum of Art History suffered especially badly during the Second World War. However, the residents of Vienna were able to take care of amazing works of art. They prudently removed and hid priceless treasures of world culture immediately before the start of the war. The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna reopened decades after the end of World War II, in 1959.

Ancient exhibits and Egyptian hall

Its exhibits are extremely ancient; these are not only paintings from the Renaissance, but also ancient works of art, whose age has reached four thousand years. For example, a head sculpture that was found during excavations in Giza about a hundred years ago.

It is believed that it was made during the reign of Pharaoh Cheops. By the way, the museum has a large hall dedicated to Egyptian themes. It is equipped like an ancient Egyptian temple. This hall contains rare treasures that witnessed the era of the pharaohs.

Exhibits of antiquity

The museum also houses exhibits from antiquity. This is a Roman copy of the sculpture of Aristotle's head, a copy of the Greek original of the sculpture "Aphrodite and Eros". The famous bas-relief cameo “Gemma Augusta” made of onyx and many other artistic values ​​of Hellenic and ancient Roman cultures.

Exhibits of jewelry art

In addition to ancient paintings, the museum houses samples of famous jewelry masters. For example, the works of the Italian genius whose works were very prestigious to give to representatives of the royal dynasties of Europe in the sixteenth century.

One of these works - a salt shaker depicting Neptune and Ceres - can be seen in one of the halls of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum. The exquisite and delicate work of the famous jeweler is simply priceless. There are also luxurious items by other famous masters. Lapis lazuli bowl by Gasparo Miseroni, a late sixteenth-century masterpiece.

Ivory exhibits

One of the museum halls contains ivory items. Among the many exhibits, the sculpture “Apollo and Daphne” by Jacob Auer, dating from 1688, especially stands out. Bone carving especially flourished in Vienna and was a fashionable activity during the reign of Emperor Leopold I.

Therefore, his bust is located in this thematic room. There is also a bust of the young Marie Antoinette, the French queen who was beheaded on the scaffold, like most aristocrats, during the Revolution.

Art gallery and numismatic hall

And yet the basis, the core of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum is the art gallery. If we remember all the most famous European artists of all times, then half of their works, undoubtedly, are in this museum. The art gallery has several, so to speak, sections. One is dedicated to the works of Flemish painting masters. Here you can see immortal paintings by Rubens, van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens. The German section contains works by Albrecht Durer, Holbein, and Cranach. The Dutch section is represented by paintings by Hals, Terborch, Van Rijn and other famous artists.

Italian contains Giorgione, Mantegna, Caravaggio, Raphael Santi. There is also a section dedicated to artists from England and France.

In addition to all the listed exhibitions, the museum has a unique numismatic hall. His collection is one of the five best collections in the world. The oldest and rarest coins, medals, orders and other insignia are collected here.

Natural History Museum

If you are interested in the most famous museums, then visit the Natural History Museum. The building is made in the Renaissance style. It looks very harmonious with the Museum of Art History. These two establishments opened in the same year. The Natural History Museum displays natural exhibits belonging to the House of Habsburg. This establishment has thirty-nine halls containing plants and animals that became extinct a couple of centuries ago. More than three million exhibits are collected here. Most of them were brought from various parts of the globe. The first floor houses an exhibition dedicated to all kinds of fauna. Famous exhibits are the skeleton of a diplodocus and a stuffed Steller's cow. The second floor houses geological exhibits. This is a collection of rare precious stones, a collection of minerals, minerals. There are fragments of a meteorite and a tiny figurine of the Venus of Willendorf.

House of Figaro

What is worth seeing for those who are interested in Vienna (city). There are many attractions here. Tourists who come to Vienna should definitely see the house of the musical genius - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was here that the famous composer lived from 1784 to 1787. The famous opera “The Marriage of Figaro” was born here. Therefore, until recently, the townspeople called the house that way - the House of Figaro. Residents of Vienna did not spare eight million euros for the reconstruction of the building. The house is located in the old part of the city, next to St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Conclusion

Now you know that Vienna (the city whose sights we looked at) is quite beautiful and interesting, of course, largely thanks to its museums. Be sure to visit the places described in the article. Believe me, this beauty deserves the attention of every tourist.

This year it is celebrating its anniversary - 125 years since its opening, and is presenting a magnificent gift: more than 10 thousand images of exhibits digitized and made publicly available. Titian and Caravaggio, Tintoretto and Arcimboldo, Bosch and Jan van Eyck - we enjoy beautiful works of art.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, "Summer". 1563

Now you can create your own selections of your favorite paintings, select exhibits to visually teach art history, post them on social networks, or even just “stick” to the Museum’s electronic library, looking at the magnificent paintings in every detail.

Please note that the main language of the site only provides general information about the museum. Simply “scrolling through” previews of 10,000 works is tiring, and besides, the paintings and sculptures are mixed together. Therefore, for easy navigation, we recommend filling out the search bar - entering the name of the artist you are interested in in Latin. So, we were interested in Arcimboldo, and a search for the word Arcimboldo returned a preview of all his works from the collection, including those paintings that are only attributed to the master. The illustration above is a detail from one of the master’s paintings. And this is far from the limit of detail!

Madonna of the Greens (Madonna of the Meadow or Belvedere Madonna)
Rafael Santi
1505, 113×88 cm

The Museum of Art History is considered one of the largest in the world and, in terms of its importance and wealth of collections, is on a par with the Hermitage and the Louvre. The main building of the museum has 91 rooms, where collections of Eastern and Egyptian antiquities, a collection of ancient monuments, and works of Western European sculpture are presented. But the heart of the museum is the world-famous art gallery, with a special focus on Renaissance and Baroque art. Hundreds and hundreds of masterpieces: Durer, Rubens, Raphael, Velazquez, as well as the richest collection of works by Pieter Bruegel.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Hunters in the snow
1565, 117×162 cm

Detail of work by Quentin Massys from the museum's website.

Peter Paul Rubens. Coat. Portrait of Helen Fourment (1636/1638)

Detail of one of Rubens' paintings from the collection of the Vienna Museum

Giorgione. Three philosophers
1504, 125.5×146.2 cm

Precious paintings and exhibits were collected by the Habsburgs since the 15th century. However, a moment came when the thoughtfully and exquisitely compiled collections of the Austrian imperial court were no longer housed not only in the Hofburg, the city residence of the emperor, but also in other buildings belonging to the Austrian crown. In the 1860s, the issue of new museums began to be actively discussed, and Emperor Franz Joseph I, accustomed to getting the best of everything, invited the famous architect Gottfried Semper to design a new complex for the new Ringstrasse. It is planned not only to expand the territory of the city at the expense of the Imperial Forum - this is the name Semper gave to his architectural project - but also to build separate museum buildings for the imperial collections.

Jan Vermeer. Allegory of painting
1660s, 120×100 cm

Hans Holbein the Younger. Portrait of Jane Seymour, Queen of England
1536, 40×65 cm

The huge complex, conceived by the author of the buildings of the Dresden Opera and the Dresden Art Gallery, was only partially realized, but Emperor Franz Joseph I still received the coveted museums, where the rich collections of the Austrian court were transported. The museum's spaces are steeped in the Renaissance, from Mihaly Munkacsi's huge painting "The Apotheosis of the Renaissance" adorning the ceiling above the main staircase, to the beautiful frescoes by Gustav Klimt, his younger brother Ernst and friend Franz von Machu.

Peter Paul Rubens. Head of Medusa
1618, 69×118 cm

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is one of the pearls of the Museum Quarter of the Austrian capital. Or rather, these are two pearls: on Maria Theresa Square there are two luxurious and almost similar in appearance buildings, built in the spirit of the Renaissance. The second building houses the Natural History Museum, which houses a huge collection of natural exhibits collected by the Habsburg family. Among the treasures of its 39 rooms are the insect collection of Ignaz Schiener, the skeleton of a diplodocus, the almost complete composite skeleton of Steller's cow and other fossils and rare finds.

Peter Paul Rubens. Four parts of the world (Four Rivers of Paradise)
1615, 208×283 cm

If we cross the square, we will find ourselves in a treasury of works of art, the foundation of which was laid by the Austrian Archduke Leopold Wilhelm (1614-1662). As Viceroy of Flanders, the Archduke regularly visited the famous Brussels art market. In a short period of time, Leopold Wilhelm created a significant art collection, selected with great taste and understanding. Leaving Flanders, the Archduke took his treasures to Vienna - paintings by Dutch, Italian, Flemish, and German masters. This collection has been replenished over the centuries. In 1918, both museums - art history and natural history, as well as all the Habsburg collections - were expropriated and became the property of the state.

Jacopo Tintoretto. Bathing Susanna
194×147 cm

Now the Kunsthistorisches Museum consists of several exhibitions. Thus, the military collection of the emperors is exhibited in the Neuburg halls (in the wing of the Hofburg Castle). The Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments, the Ephesus Museum and other exhibitions are also open there. Separate meetings are in Stalburg, Schönbrunn Castle and Ambras Castle near Innsbruck.

Of course, the digitized collection of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum is a great contribution of its employees to the popularization of art. However, nothing can compare with visiting luxurious halls, where you can not only enjoy works of art with your own eyes, but also feel the touch of true History. The museum is huge, so if you are in Vienna, plan a separate day to visit it.

The halls of the Kunsthistorisches Museum display countless masterpieces of Western art, including the world's largest collection of paintings by Bruegel. The collections of the ancient world, Ancient Egypt and the East amaze with the richness of the cultures of the past.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is a collection of artistic objects, archaeological exhibits, ancient monuments, and numismatic rarities; an art gallery of world significance. The institution is administered by the Austrian Ministry of Culture.

Museum building

The museum is located on Maria Theresa Square, photo by Peter M.

The façade of the museum is lined with carved sandstone. The building has the shape of a rectangle topped with a 60-meter dome. The interiors are lavishly decorated with marble and plaster relief decoration. There are ninety-one rooms in the main building of the museum.

The building's design was created by the architect Gottfried Semper and Baron Karl von Hasenauer in the mid-19th century.

History of the meeting

The museum collection was started by the Imperial House of Austria. The Habsburgs collected and preserved art and antiques from the 15th century. The largest contribution was made by Ferdinand II, who for a long time formed a collection of works of art in his castle. The best, rare examples from the Archducal heritage are presented in Vienna today.

Rudolf II also did a lot for the future museum. In Prague Castle he opened the Kunstkamera and founded an art gallery. From these collections, the most striking exhibits were also transported to the Vienna Museum. It was Rudolph who for a long time collected works by Bruegel the Elder, which are now the main pride of the painting exhibition of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in his gallery

Historians call the founding father of the museum Archduke Leopold Wilhelm. For almost a decade he was governor of the Southern Netherlands. During this time, he managed to collect an extensive collection of paintings, buying them at auctions in Brussels. The gallery collected by Leopold-Wilhelm is considered the most comprehensive in Europe. It included paintings by Giorgione, Titian and Veronese, Tintoretto and Rubens; works by Mantegna and Van Eyck.

The Habsburg treasures were opened to the public under Maria Theresa. The works were brought from many family castles, palaces, and private galleries and grouped according to geographical and chronological criteria. Objects of art were exhibited for a long time in several palaces: in the Upper Belvedere, in the Lower Belvedere, in.

The opening of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum took place in 1889. Since 1918, this collection, like the entire Habsburg heritage, was expropriated in favor of the state. During World War II, the building on Maria Theresien-Platz was seriously destroyed, but the Austrians took out the bulk of the priceless works and hid them before the war. The museum reopened in 1959.

Art Gallery

The core of the museum collection was the art gallery. It presents paintings by Western European masters of the 14th–18th centuries. The section on Dutch painting contains paintings by van der Weyden and van Goes, Bruegel the Elder, and Jan van Eyck. The collection of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, presented in the Vienna Museum, is considered the greatest in Europe - here you can see half of all the works created by the painter over the years. The pearl of the collection are paintings from the famous “Seasons” series.

Peter Paul Rubens. photo Deborah and Thomas

Art gallery collections

• In Flemish section, the first to attract attention are the paintings of Rubens, with his colorful beauties. You cannot ignore the masterpieces of the Baroque – the works of Jacob Jordaens and the “airy” paintings of Van Dyck.
• Dutch There is little painting presented, but true masterpieces are collected here: paintings by F. Hals, G. Terborch, Rembrandt van Rijn, allegorical works by Jan W. Delft.
• The collection of paintings is especially rich German masters of the brush. Here you can see masterpieces of the Renaissance era: works by Albrecht Durer and Cranach the Elder, G. Holbein and many other painters. Displayed here is Dürer's iconic masterpiece: The Adoration of All Saints to the Trinity, a world-famous altarpiece.
• Names Italian The masters are impressive: Giorgione, Mantegna, Titian, Caravaggio. It is here that you can see “Madonna in the Green” by Raphael Santi and “Lucrezia” by Veronese. The pearl of the Spanish collection of the Vienna Museum is the work of Velazquez, his royal dynastic portraits.
• Sections: art England And France- weak.

Ancient Egypt and Near East Collection

Ancient Egypt collection, photo by courthouselover

The Vienna Museum is famous not only for its artistic canvases. Its collections of ancient Egyptian and oriental treasures are considered the oldest in the world. Egyptian sculptures from different periods of the state's history are presented here. Architectural treasures and stone figurines, bronze and wooden items, papyri, sarcophagi and jewelry are displayed against the backdrop of interiors stylized as Egyptian temples and tombs.

The department of ancient art contains valuables from Etruscan, ancient Greek, Roman times: coins, figurines, medals and jewelry - many artifacts found during research at different times. The most striking exhibit is a collection of onyx cameos by Ptolemy. The extensive sculptural exhibition and the exhibition of jewelry items from the Great Migration era are interesting.

Kunstkamera

The museum's Kunstkamera is unique in its kind. It is decorated with silk tapestries from the early 18th century, as well as works of applied art made of precious metals and ivory.

Numismatic collection

The museum's numismatic collection is one of the world's five largest collections of coins, paper money, shares, orders and medals, and insignia. In total there are approximately 700,000 objects.

Museum opening hours:

See current ticket prices.

Ticket Kunsthistorisches Museum + Leopold Museum

Visit two of Austria's most important museums with a great value combination ticket. Discover 2,000 years of art heritage at the Leopold Museum and Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Admire works by Klimt, Schiely and many others. Cost €24.

Ticket Kunsthistorisches Museum + Imperial Treasury

Explore the Habsburg treasures at Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum and Imperial Treasury with a combination ticket - you'll see the world's most important works of art, imperial architecture and more. Cost €22.

Combined Master Ticket

What does it include? With this ticket you will also receive entry to the Vienna Treasury, and attend a morning training of Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School. Cost €24.

Tickets are valid for 1 year, so you choose when to visit the museums and on what day.

How to get there?

Take the U2 metro to Museumsquartier station.