Vienna - Museum of Art History (Fine Arts) Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum, its mighty dome crowned by a bronze figure of Pallas Athene, houses one of the most important art collections in the world. It underwent restoration at the beginning of the 90s. In the second half of the 19th C. it was realized that Vienna had no counterpart of the great art galleries of London and Amsterdam, particularly since the Imperial collections in Prince Eugene's former summer mansion had become far too large for those premises.
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Karl Hasenauer and Gottfried Semper were charged with the task of drawing up plans for two splendid museums, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum. Between 1871 and 1891 they erected the vast pair of buildings which form the left and right hand sides of Maria-Theresien Platz. Though the state was close to bankruptcy, the architects were under instructions not to make economies, and they were able to use expensive materials and commission highly rated artists with the decoration of the interior. Among those who worked on the embellishment of the Museum's interior were Viktor Tilgner, Hans Makart, Michael Munkacsy, the brothers Ernst and Gustav Klimt and Franz Matsch.
Art Collections The collections are divided into eight departments. The main building houses the Egyptian- Oriental Collection, the Collection of Antiquities, the Sculpture and Applied Arts Collection, the Collection of Paintings and the Collection of Coins. The Museum's other collections are found elsewhere: the Treasure in Schweizerhof of the Hofburg, the Sammlung Alter Musikinstrumente (Collection of Old Musical Instruments), the Ephesos Museum and the Waffensammlung (Weapon Collection) in der Neuen Burg and the Wagenburg in Schloss Schönbrunn. The main building in Maria Theresien Platz has 51 rooms with the Egyptian-Oriental Collection and Collection of Paintings being the most highly rated.
One of the largest collections of Renaissance tapestries is housed in this museum. Hundreds of portraits from the Middle Ages to the 19th C. are filled with costume and textile information.
Art Collections The collections are divided into eight departments. The main building houses the Egyptian- Oriental Collection, the Collection of Antiquities, the Sculpture and Applied Arts Collection, the Collection of Paintings and the Collection of Coins. The Museum's other collections are found elsewhere: the Treasure in Schweizerhof of the Hofburg, the Sammlung Alter Musikinstrumente (Collection of Old Musical Instruments), the Ephesos Museum and the Waffensammlung (Weapon Collection) in der Neuen Burg and the Wagenburg in Schloss Schönbrunn. The main building in Maria Theresien Platz has 51 rooms with the Egyptian-Oriental Collection and Collection of Paintings being the most highly rated.
One of the largest collections of Renaissance tapestries is housed in this museum. Hundreds of portraits from the Middle Ages to the 19th C. are filled with costume and textile information.
Things to See
Museum of Art History (Antiquities Collection)
The Museum of Art History's Antiquties Collection is located on the Museum's raised first floor.
Room IX: Art from Cyprus. Bronze age pottery and sepulchral reliefs from Palmyra.
Room X: Greek and Roman sculpture, including the precious bronze statue "The Youth of Helenenburg" (recent research has shown it to be a Renaissance copy of a missing Roman original) and a Head of Artemis (second cetnury B.C.).
Room XI: Earlier Greek and Roman sculpture including a Greek ruler and a magnificent Roman mosaic pavement (second century B.C.).
Room XII: Greek bronzes and Minoan statuettes from Crete (end second century B.C.).
Room XIII: Etruscan art, including the clay statue of Athena from Rocca d'Aspromonte (fifth century B.C.)
Room XIV: Pottery decorated with pictures and reliefs, Tangara figures and an especially precious Ptolemaic cameo with the portraits of a Ptolemaic king and his consort (showcase 14).
Room XV: Roman art, portraits of Emperors, ceremonial utensils, miniature sculptures and cameos, including the world famous "Gemma Augustea" (first century B.C.)
Room XVI: Art of Late Antiquity, individual finds from Austrian excavations, including marble portrait head from Ephesus.
Room XVII: Textiles from Egypt and early Christian handicrafts, including the Siebenburg golden treasure from Szilagysomlyo.
Room XVIII: Byzantine and Old Bulgarian work, including silver treasures from Galicia and Bukovina. The prime exhibit is the treasure from Nagyszentmiklós with 23 gold vessels.
Room IX: Art from Cyprus. Bronze age pottery and sepulchral reliefs from Palmyra.
Room X: Greek and Roman sculpture, including the precious bronze statue "The Youth of Helenenburg" (recent research has shown it to be a Renaissance copy of a missing Roman original) and a Head of Artemis (second cetnury B.C.).
Room XI: Earlier Greek and Roman sculpture including a Greek ruler and a magnificent Roman mosaic pavement (second century B.C.).
Room XII: Greek bronzes and Minoan statuettes from Crete (end second century B.C.).
Room XIII: Etruscan art, including the clay statue of Athena from Rocca d'Aspromonte (fifth century B.C.)
Room XIV: Pottery decorated with pictures and reliefs, Tangara figures and an especially precious Ptolemaic cameo with the portraits of a Ptolemaic king and his consort (showcase 14).
Room XV: Roman art, portraits of Emperors, ceremonial utensils, miniature sculptures and cameos, including the world famous "Gemma Augustea" (first century B.C.)
Room XVI: Art of Late Antiquity, individual finds from Austrian excavations, including marble portrait head from Ephesus.
Room XVII: Textiles from Egypt and early Christian handicrafts, including the Siebenburg golden treasure from Szilagysomlyo.
Room XVIII: Byzantine and Old Bulgarian work, including silver treasures from Galicia and Bukovina. The prime exhibit is the treasure from Nagyszentmiklós with 23 gold vessels.
Museum of Art History (Coin Collection)
The Coin Collection in Vienna's Museum of Art History is arranged in three rooms and is one of the largest and most important of its kind.
Room I: Development of money from natural forms of currency to modern forms of monetary transaction without cash. There is natural currency from Asia, Africa and America, stone money from Yap Island, money in the form of bars and rings, minted currency and rare old versions of paper money.
Room II: Medals. Exhibition of the artistic and cultural history of medals from the Roman era to the present day.
Room III: Modern medals, insignia of Orders and honorific badges.
Room I: Development of money from natural forms of currency to modern forms of monetary transaction without cash. There is natural currency from Asia, Africa and America, stone money from Yap Island, money in the form of bars and rings, minted currency and rare old versions of paper money.
Room II: Medals. Exhibition of the artistic and cultural history of medals from the Roman era to the present day.
Room III: Modern medals, insignia of Orders and honorific badges.
Museum of Art History (Egyptian-Oriental Collection)
The Museum of Art History's Egyptian-Oriental Collection is located on the raised first floor.
Room I: Cult of the dead. Large stone sarcophagi, (600-100 B.C.), painted wooden coffins (1100- 100 B.C.); mummies with painted wrappings, partly gilded mummy masks, pearl-decorated faiences, entrail jugs, Uschebti (workers for the beyond) from assorted material and other tomb contents.
Room II: Prehistoric and Early Egypt (5000-2635 B.C.) stone and clay pots, jewelry. Nubia and its connection with Egyptian culture; a selection of pots and jewelry from prehistory to the Meroitic period. Hyksos as a foreign ruler of Egypt (1650-1550 B.C.); Austrian excavations in Tell el Dab'a.
Room III: Animal cult. Mummified sacred animals; figures of animal gods; Apis stele from Sakkara.
Room IV: Representation of the development of old Egyptian writing, funerary papyrii.
Room V: Ptolemaic Age. Two heads of colossal statues of rulers (second century B.C.), portrait of an old man (c. 250 B.C.). Late period (1080-332 B.C.). Sphinxes, statues, reliefs, bronzes; statue of Prince Nemarot (22nd Dynasty, about 900 B.C.), Sphinx of General Wah-ib-re (30th Dynasty, 350 B.C.), two large seated statues of the lion-headed goddess Mut from her temple in Karnak (18th Dynasty). Glazed tile relief representing a lion from Ischator in Babylon (around 580 B.C.).
Room VI: Everyday objects including furniture, clothes, jewelry, tools for working with stone and wood.
Room VIa: Old Kingdom. Cult chamber of Prince Kaninisut from Giza (fifth Dynasty, about 2400 B.C.).
Room VII: New Kingdom (1550-1080 B.C.); statues of gods, kings and private citizens, grave steles, memorials, reliefs and vessels. Kings; portrait of Thutmosis III (18th Dynasty, C. 1460 B.C.), group statue of Haremhab and Horus (18th Dynasty, C. 1320 B.C.), upper section of a colossal statue of Sethos I (19th Dynasty, C. 1300 B.C.), huge elephantine stele of Amenophis II (1439-1413 B.C.). Statue of Siese (19th Dynasty, C. 1200 B.C.). Middle Kingdom (2134-1650 B.C.); statues and parts of statues from kings and private citizens, steles, small stone vessels; a life- size head of Sesostris III (12th Dynasty, C. 1860 B.C.) and the head of Amenemhet V (13th Dynasty, c. 1750 B.C.); among the rare treasure are a hippopotamus made of glazed and painted faïence, a burial gift from the 11th Dynasty (c. 2000 B.C.) and the almost life-size statue of Sebek-em-sauf from the 13th Dynasty (1720 B.C.).
Room VIII: Old Kingdom (2635-2155 B.C.); statues, architectural relics and vessels from private tombs of the fourth-sixth Dynasty (c. 2500-2150 B.C.) in Giza. Of special interest and one of the finest examples extant is the "Head of a Man", c. 2450 B.C. sculpted from the finest limestone.
Room I: Cult of the dead. Large stone sarcophagi, (600-100 B.C.), painted wooden coffins (1100- 100 B.C.); mummies with painted wrappings, partly gilded mummy masks, pearl-decorated faiences, entrail jugs, Uschebti (workers for the beyond) from assorted material and other tomb contents.
Room II: Prehistoric and Early Egypt (5000-2635 B.C.) stone and clay pots, jewelry. Nubia and its connection with Egyptian culture; a selection of pots and jewelry from prehistory to the Meroitic period. Hyksos as a foreign ruler of Egypt (1650-1550 B.C.); Austrian excavations in Tell el Dab'a.
Room III: Animal cult. Mummified sacred animals; figures of animal gods; Apis stele from Sakkara.
Room IV: Representation of the development of old Egyptian writing, funerary papyrii.
Room V: Ptolemaic Age. Two heads of colossal statues of rulers (second century B.C.), portrait of an old man (c. 250 B.C.). Late period (1080-332 B.C.). Sphinxes, statues, reliefs, bronzes; statue of Prince Nemarot (22nd Dynasty, about 900 B.C.), Sphinx of General Wah-ib-re (30th Dynasty, 350 B.C.), two large seated statues of the lion-headed goddess Mut from her temple in Karnak (18th Dynasty). Glazed tile relief representing a lion from Ischator in Babylon (around 580 B.C.).
Room VI: Everyday objects including furniture, clothes, jewelry, tools for working with stone and wood.
Room VIa: Old Kingdom. Cult chamber of Prince Kaninisut from Giza (fifth Dynasty, about 2400 B.C.).
Room VII: New Kingdom (1550-1080 B.C.); statues of gods, kings and private citizens, grave steles, memorials, reliefs and vessels. Kings; portrait of Thutmosis III (18th Dynasty, C. 1460 B.C.), group statue of Haremhab and Horus (18th Dynasty, C. 1320 B.C.), upper section of a colossal statue of Sethos I (19th Dynasty, C. 1300 B.C.), huge elephantine stele of Amenophis II (1439-1413 B.C.). Statue of Siese (19th Dynasty, C. 1200 B.C.). Middle Kingdom (2134-1650 B.C.); statues and parts of statues from kings and private citizens, steles, small stone vessels; a life- size head of Sesostris III (12th Dynasty, C. 1860 B.C.) and the head of Amenemhet V (13th Dynasty, c. 1750 B.C.); among the rare treasure are a hippopotamus made of glazed and painted faïence, a burial gift from the 11th Dynasty (c. 2000 B.C.) and the almost life-size statue of Sebek-em-sauf from the 13th Dynasty (1720 B.C.).
Room VIII: Old Kingdom (2635-2155 B.C.); statues, architectural relics and vessels from private tombs of the fourth-sixth Dynasty (c. 2500-2150 B.C.) in Giza. Of special interest and one of the finest examples extant is the "Head of a Man", c. 2450 B.C. sculpted from the finest limestone.
Museum of Art History (Picture Gallery)
The world famous Picture Gallery in Vienna's Museum of Art History is housed in 15 rooms and 24 cabinets. It is located on the first floor.
Room I: Works by Titian, "Ecce-Homo" and "Danae".
Room II: Representative works by Paolo Veronese ("Death of Lucretia", "Judith with the Head of Holofernes", etc.), scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Room III: Venetian Mannerism, represented primarily by Tintoretto ("Susannah in the Bath") and Bassanno's family.
Room IV: Tintoretto
Room V: Works of the 17th C. chiaroscuro painting. The major work is "Madonna of the Rosary" by Michaelangelo Caravaggio.
Room VI: Christian themes from the Counter-Reformation era; Notable is the famous "Baptism of Christ" by Guido Reni.
Room VII: 18th C. Italian Baroque masters. Giambattista Tiepolo's scenes from Roman history are outstanding. View of Vienna by Bernado Bellotto, known as Canaletto.
Room VIII: Early Netherlands painting of the 15th and 16th C. Works by Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Joos van Cleves and two portraits by Jan van Eyck.
Room IX: 16th C. Netherlands painting. Genre pictures by Pieter Aertsen and a series depicting the Seasons by Lucas van Valckenborch.
Room X: A definitive collection of works by Peter Breughel the Elder, with about one third of the surviving works of the master, including "The Seasons", "Children Playing", "Tower of Babel", "Hunters Returning" and "The Peasant Wedding".
Room XI: 17th C. Flemish masters. Still-lifes by Frans Snyderss and Jacob Jordaens.
Room XII: Paintings by Rubens's pupil and collaborator Sir Anthony van Dyck, with his "Picture of a Younger Generation".
Room XIII and XIV: Peter Paul Rubens Collection. More than 30 of his works hang here, including many of his masterpieces.
Room XV: Dutch 17th and 18th C. painting, with pictures by Rembrandt and landscapes by Ruysdael.
The most important cabinets are: Cabinet 2, with Bellini and the "Three Philosophers" by Giorgione Cabinet 3, with Correggios "Kidnapping of Ganymed" and "Jupiter and Jo" together with Parmigianinos "Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror" and "The Fall of St Paul" Cabinet 4, paintings by Raphael including "Madonna in Green" and pictures by Andrea del Sarto Cabinet 10, works by Velasquez and an altar-painting by Murillo from Seville and only acquired in 1987 Cabinet 14, early Dutch painting Cabinet 17, with eight major works by Dürer and Old German masters (incl. Danube School) Cabinet 18, portraits by Hans Holbein Cabinet 20, more paintings by Rubens Cabinet 23, landscapes by Ruisdael Cabinet 24, works by Vermeer
Room I: Works by Titian, "Ecce-Homo" and "Danae".
Room II: Representative works by Paolo Veronese ("Death of Lucretia", "Judith with the Head of Holofernes", etc.), scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Room III: Venetian Mannerism, represented primarily by Tintoretto ("Susannah in the Bath") and Bassanno's family.
Room IV: Tintoretto
Room V: Works of the 17th C. chiaroscuro painting. The major work is "Madonna of the Rosary" by Michaelangelo Caravaggio.
Room VI: Christian themes from the Counter-Reformation era; Notable is the famous "Baptism of Christ" by Guido Reni.
Room VII: 18th C. Italian Baroque masters. Giambattista Tiepolo's scenes from Roman history are outstanding. View of Vienna by Bernado Bellotto, known as Canaletto.
Room VIII: Early Netherlands painting of the 15th and 16th C. Works by Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Joos van Cleves and two portraits by Jan van Eyck.
Room IX: 16th C. Netherlands painting. Genre pictures by Pieter Aertsen and a series depicting the Seasons by Lucas van Valckenborch.
Room X: A definitive collection of works by Peter Breughel the Elder, with about one third of the surviving works of the master, including "The Seasons", "Children Playing", "Tower of Babel", "Hunters Returning" and "The Peasant Wedding".
Room XI: 17th C. Flemish masters. Still-lifes by Frans Snyderss and Jacob Jordaens.
Room XII: Paintings by Rubens's pupil and collaborator Sir Anthony van Dyck, with his "Picture of a Younger Generation".
Room XIII and XIV: Peter Paul Rubens Collection. More than 30 of his works hang here, including many of his masterpieces.
Room XV: Dutch 17th and 18th C. painting, with pictures by Rembrandt and landscapes by Ruysdael.
The most important cabinets are: Cabinet 2, with Bellini and the "Three Philosophers" by Giorgione Cabinet 3, with Correggios "Kidnapping of Ganymed" and "Jupiter and Jo" together with Parmigianinos "Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror" and "The Fall of St Paul" Cabinet 4, paintings by Raphael including "Madonna in Green" and pictures by Andrea del Sarto Cabinet 10, works by Velasquez and an altar-painting by Murillo from Seville and only acquired in 1987 Cabinet 14, early Dutch painting Cabinet 17, with eight major works by Dürer and Old German masters (incl. Danube School) Cabinet 18, portraits by Hans Holbein Cabinet 20, more paintings by Rubens Cabinet 23, landscapes by Ruisdael Cabinet 24, works by Vermeer
Museum of Art History (Sculpture and Applied Arts Collection)
In Vienna's Museum of Art History the Sculpture and Applied Arts Collection is located on the Museum's raised ground floor.
Room XXXVI: High and late Middle Ages. Ivory carving, rock crystal vessels and two famous chalices, one from Wilten Abbey at Innsbruck, the other from St Peter's at Salzburg.
Rooms XXXVII and XXXV: Clocks, scientific instruments and automata of the 16th and 17th C. including a rock-crystal clock by Jost Burgi, the heavenly globe by Georg Roll (1584) for Emperor Rudolf II and a Spanish automatic doll.
Room XXXIV: Late Medieval German Sculpture. Fine Nuremberg vessels, including the so- called Dürer and Maximilian cups. Gothic sculpture including the famous Krumau Madonna and a "Madonna and Child" by Tilman Riemenschneider.
Room XXXII: Florentine Early Renaissance. Many reliefs and busts from Donatello's and della Robbia's workshops; Settignano's "Laughing Boy" and Laurana's "Portrait of a young lady".
Room XXXI: 16th and 17th C. small bronzes, ivory work, rock crystal and carved stone vessels.
Room XXX: Upper Italian Renaissance. Busts, plaques and bronzes by Antico (Venus Felix), Moderno and Riccio.
Room XXIX: Italian vessels of rock-crystal, lapis lazuli, jasper, etc; valuable 16th C. cameos; Spanish gold work.
Room XXVIII: German Renaissance. Wooden statuettes, inlay work and carving.
Room XXVII: 16th C. Italian bronzes. Many impressive works by Giambologna and Benvenuto Cellini's famous salt cellar.
Room XXVI: French 16th C. Mannerism with elegant vessels and Limoges display pieces.
Room XXV: German 16th C. Mannerism. Items from Archduke Ferdinand II's collection; rare Venetian jewelry; Tyrolean pottery, etc.
Room XXIV: Collection of carved stone vessels from the tomb of Rudolf II; fine gold and silver work, jewelry and cameos of the 16th and 17th C.; so-called Florentine mosaic.
Room XXII: High Baroque. Mainly miniature work, ebony statuettes, bronze busts and figurative reliefs made from Kelheim stone.
Room XX: Austria High Baroque and Roccoco. Notable are the bust of Marie-Antoinette, Marie Theresa's gold breakfast service and the toilet seat of her husband, Francis II.
Room XIX: 17th C. carvings in crystal and quartz. Dionisio Miseroni's "Pyramide" a tower carved from a single rock-crystal for Emperor Ferdinand III. The tapestries on the walls are frequently changed as they are sensitive to light and dust.
Room XXXVI: High and late Middle Ages. Ivory carving, rock crystal vessels and two famous chalices, one from Wilten Abbey at Innsbruck, the other from St Peter's at Salzburg.
Rooms XXXVII and XXXV: Clocks, scientific instruments and automata of the 16th and 17th C. including a rock-crystal clock by Jost Burgi, the heavenly globe by Georg Roll (1584) for Emperor Rudolf II and a Spanish automatic doll.
Room XXXIV: Late Medieval German Sculpture. Fine Nuremberg vessels, including the so- called Dürer and Maximilian cups. Gothic sculpture including the famous Krumau Madonna and a "Madonna and Child" by Tilman Riemenschneider.
Room XXXII: Florentine Early Renaissance. Many reliefs and busts from Donatello's and della Robbia's workshops; Settignano's "Laughing Boy" and Laurana's "Portrait of a young lady".
Room XXXI: 16th and 17th C. small bronzes, ivory work, rock crystal and carved stone vessels.
Room XXX: Upper Italian Renaissance. Busts, plaques and bronzes by Antico (Venus Felix), Moderno and Riccio.
Room XXIX: Italian vessels of rock-crystal, lapis lazuli, jasper, etc; valuable 16th C. cameos; Spanish gold work.
Room XXVIII: German Renaissance. Wooden statuettes, inlay work and carving.
Room XXVII: 16th C. Italian bronzes. Many impressive works by Giambologna and Benvenuto Cellini's famous salt cellar.
Room XXVI: French 16th C. Mannerism with elegant vessels and Limoges display pieces.
Room XXV: German 16th C. Mannerism. Items from Archduke Ferdinand II's collection; rare Venetian jewelry; Tyrolean pottery, etc.
Room XXIV: Collection of carved stone vessels from the tomb of Rudolf II; fine gold and silver work, jewelry and cameos of the 16th and 17th C.; so-called Florentine mosaic.
Room XXII: High Baroque. Mainly miniature work, ebony statuettes, bronze busts and figurative reliefs made from Kelheim stone.
Room XX: Austria High Baroque and Roccoco. Notable are the bust of Marie-Antoinette, Marie Theresa's gold breakfast service and the toilet seat of her husband, Francis II.
Room XIX: 17th C. carvings in crystal and quartz. Dionisio Miseroni's "Pyramide" a tower carved from a single rock-crystal for Emperor Ferdinand III. The tapestries on the walls are frequently changed as they are sensitive to light and dust.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
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