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Kunsthistorisches Museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum was erected close to the Hofburg to accommodate the extensive imperial Habsburg collections. The monumental structure, built at the behest of Emperor Franz Joseph I as part of his expansion of the city in 1858, was intended to both unite and display the art treasures that had been collected by the Habsburgs over the centuries. Construction work lasted 20 years, from when ground was first broken in 1871 to the museum building’s completion in the year 1891. The famous architect and art theorist Gottfried Semper (1803-1879) and Karl von Hasenauer (1833-1894) designed the building.

Masterpieces:

Its collection of major works of art and the largest Brueghel collection worldwide make the Kunsthistorisches Museum one of the most important of its kind in the world.

The Picture Gallery shows numerous major works of occidental art, including Raphael’s “Madonna of the Meadow”, Vermeer’s “The Artist in his Studio”, the infanta portraits by Velazquez, masterpieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Tizian and Tintoretto. The Collection of Sculpture and Decorative Arts houses rarities from the former Habsburg Kunst- und Wunderkammer (arts and natural wonders rooms). The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection fascinates visitors with treasures of ancient, mysterious cultures.

Art & Delight:

Art and delight can be combined at an art brunch or at an exquisite evening buffet in the Cupola Hall.

The Naturhistorisches Museum with its identical architectural exterior faces the museum across Maria-Theresien-Platz.

Channel: Museums Tour
Categories: Art & Culture, Sightseeing

Weiterführende Links:

• Kunsthistorisches Museum
• Pieter Brueghel d. Ä. wiki
• Velázquez