Vienna Art Tips For Travelers – Baroque Squiggles to Street Art
Baroque Squiggles to Street Art
Vienna Art. If you generally like art there is no better place than Wien. Not just because the city is packed with museums and artwork but because of its variety. In this post I’m going to focus on the most popular art periods in Wien, and where in town you can dive into them.
Baroque Period in Vienna
Vienna Art. Much of what you see in the city centre is not just 250 to 300 years old but glamorously decorated and presented in opulent style. Together with Schonbrunn Palace, our number one tourist attraction, baroque art largely defines Austria’s capital.
Essentially, the 18th century produced a vast number of baroque buildings in Wien: from churches and Imperial powerhouses to town palaces. After all, there was a lot of empty space to fill, following the last siege of the Turks in 1683. Also, since the Empire didn’t host many economic opportunities the well off residents invested their money in new property.
Where to see the best baroque art in Viennese museums? Definitely at THE Vienna Art Museum, aka Kunsthistorisches Museum because of its Italian baroque painters and Jan Brueghel master pieces. In addition, the museum’s Kunstkammer collects pieces of art and natural wonders, such as the famous Saliera, that celebrate baroque art.
For real baroque fun there is no better place to visit than the Belvedere Vienna. Whereas mostly known for its Klimt paintings, the baroque palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy not just displays religious baroque tables. Instead, head for the hilarious character heads of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. Displaying grimaces from rage and disgust to fear and fun, you can’t help making the same faces alongside them!
Find out in Baroque Period in Vienna which key pieces of baroque architecture, baroque gardens, baroque costumes and music you should see and experience.
Wiener Biedermeier
ienna Art. Although you can find Biedermeier art in Germany, too, Wien holds the key to the most charming paintings, houses, furniture and fashion. Biedermeier defines the dominant art form between the end of the Congress of Vienna and the Revolution in 1848. Since State power resurged citizens withdrew into a romantic world inside their own homes.
Hence, if you like elegant design, great craftsmanship and romantic patterns include Biedermeier art into your itinerary. On top, you will get a perfect glimpse into bourgeois Viennese life of the 19th century.
To soak up Biedermeier atmosphere there is no better place in Vienna than the Spittelberg quarter. If you follow my Art Walk route you’ll get to see rows of original Biedermeier houses and courtyards. To find the best Biedermeier paintings head for the Austrian National Gallery at Belvedere Vienna and to Wien Museum (Vienna Museum). The painting on the right shows ‘A Young Woman At Her Toilette’ (1840) by famous Biedermeier painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller (Wien Museum). The latter also exhibits some elegant original Biedermeier dresses.
Since Biedermeier art is so popular with historic furniture make sure you see the fully furnished Biedermeier rooms at the Hapsburgs Museum of Furniture. Another Biedermeier favourite of mine is the collection of chairs and other furniture at the Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art (MAK).
Fin De Siècle Vienna And Modernism
About 100 years ago, Vienna sent shockwaves through the art world. Controversial artists such as Egon Schiele and Adolf Loos produced scandals that raged across local magistrates, coffeehouses, hairdressing salons and established art circles. Architect and designer Otto Wagner and painter Gustav Klimt evolved gradually from artists of the establishment to groundbreaking pioneers of a revolutionary art form.
The architectural centerpiece of Vienna Modernism was and still is the Vienna Secession. Today, no one bats an eyelash when seeing it. But it was built at the end of the 19th century, the white cubes balancing a huge golden sphere split the local art world. Get my top Fin de Siecle Vienna travel tips.
01. Otto Wagner In Vienna
Ornaments, swirls, flowers, and elegant minimalism. Austria’s capital collects the best Art Nouveau architecture in Europe. If you want to experience Wiener Jugendstil and Wiener Moderne follow one man: Otto Wagner.
The Austrian architect and designer created signature pieces. The Majolikahaus, the Austrian Postal Savings Bank, and the pavilions on Karlsplatz are just a few. They build a stark contrast to Vienna’s baroque architecture. You can find most of them in the city centre. Access my 10 key tips on Otto Wagner in Vienna to see in town.
02. Gustav Klimt Artwork
Without a doubt, Gustav Klimt is Vienna’s most popular artist. His exuberant ornaments and delicate female portraits were both innovative and provocative, reflecting the essence of Vienna 1900. To truly understand this era, it is essential to delve into the symbolism of his paintings.Before you visit Vienna, take the time to familiarize yourself with Klimt’s key masterpieces and learn where to find them. My comprehensive guide to Gustav Klimt’s artwork will help you navigate his influential pieces, providing insights into the themes and techniques that defined his work.
03. Klimt Villa
If you love Gustav Klimt’s work, seeing his art may not be enough. At the Klimt Villa, near Schönbrunn Palace, you’ll step into Klimt’s last studio and gain deeper insights into what inspired this Art Nouveau master. The villa is not just filled with art but also with quotes from friends and promoters, personal photographs, and original furniture, providing a rich context to Klimt’s creative world.
Before you visit, it’s important to know what to expect. I visited the Klimt Villa in the summer of 2016 and was thoroughly impressed by the experience.
04. Adolf Loos Vienna
At the same time that Art Nouveau was showcasing splendid ornaments and playful decorations, Adolf Loos was promoting a modernist view of the world. Unsurprisingly, the architect and cultural critic ignited both fierce criticism and admiration within local society.
Initially, Loos sympathized with the Vienna Secession, but he soon became one of its most vocal critics. For example, he detested Josef Hoffmann, yet absolutely respected Otto Wagner. During my research on Adolf Loos for my post, I read his famous essay Ornament und Verbrechen (Ornament and Crime), which is also available in English. It’s definitely a great read for fans of aesthetics and modernism!
Street Art In Vienna
Just outside the confines of the historic center you can open up pockets of weird and wonderful sreet art. Because the municipality has freed up a lot of surfaces outside the center to legal graffiti, and tolerates a little more, street art is flourishing in Wien. Probably the most talked about is the graffiti art along the Danube Canal. There, along a good mile on both sides, tags and simple throwups mix with elaborate designs such as a diver and the split-in-half portrait of Sigmund Freud by internationally renown Austrian artist Nychos.
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