Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum

For me in Vienna the Kunsthistorisches Museum is always a destination. I had a meeting in the city recently and I also had extra time before it.

The museum was opened at the end of the 19^th century by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. It (and also the Natural History Museum on the same square) was commissioned by the emperor to house the Habsburgs’ art collection and to make it accessible to the public. The inside of the building is lavish: marble walls, stucco ornaments, paintings and gold details. 

I also like that little detail that there are always fresh flowers in the main hall next to the beautiful staircase. White lilies always, their smell is so strong when you pass by. Beautiful. Elegant.

I had only an hour so I decided to go and see a few paintings and not to squeeze in the Brueghel exhibition. As a big surprise the rooms of the collection were almost empty while long queue at the Brueghel. What a great opportunity to enjoy these paintings without the crowd.

Caravaggio: Madonna of the Rosary (detail)

I became an Art Valuer

With my degree.

I am an economist who is in love with visual arts but this year I made a little step ahead to discover more. 

In June I have finished my Art Valuer course. One year non-stop studying, visiting art galleries, auctions, learning about art history, techniques and even about how to identify fake paintings.

As a result I have a long list of cities and museums: what to visit in the coming years. Great plans.

As the course is over, what I miss the most the wonderful people I met at. Such colourful team: art historians, art collectors, lawyers, a retired lady, and an old gentleman, who completed his studies at the age of eighty. His dream is to open his own gallery. Never give up your dreams. My next dream is to study art history in Florence. What is yours?

Learning about the Landauer Altar by Dürer in Vienna at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Visiting the Hungarian National Gallery.

Art Valuer workshop

I especially liked the back of the paintings. The history behind. 

Cheking the signature.

Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

With the art valuer course I am doing at the moment we are visiting the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and having a massive f i v e hours guided tour…

Albertina in Vienna

Intimate exhibition of Raphael’s drawings at the Albertina. There are 130 drawings plus 18 paintings on the walls: from the first sketches to detail studies and the final paintings. It is a unique moment as the fragile drawings are not often exhibited in any museums.

The Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John was also exhibited. This painting belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest and I was happy to see it in Vienna this time. It is a very small and unfinished work of the Italian Renaissance star but a real treasure of our museum in Hungary. 

Last minute visit to the Albertina in Vienna....

...before the end of the Magritte exhibition. More than 150 works from all over
the world plus rarely seen photographs and films were also on display.
(Albertina, Vienna, 9 November 2011 - 26 February 2012)



Underground station, Vienna - celebrating the 150th birthday anniversary
of Gustav Klimt.

The Hundertwasser House in Vienna (Kegelgasse 34-38)

This was the third time I was here but I always remember different ways.
Maybe the change of seasons or just the time...

It was built between 1983 - 1986. There are 52 apartments and 4 offices in the
building. There are also 250 bushes and trees on the top of the building.
Worth stopping by for a short visit.

For the celebration of Gustav Klimt's 150th birthday this summer Vienna is already
well prepared. Wherever you go in the city you will see some of his arts.
I went to the Kunst Historischen Museum with my mum (actually to celebrate her
60th birthday) recently.
In the main staircase specially built bridge helps visitors to admire his paintings on the wall.

In 1890, a year before the formal opening of the museum Klimt, his younger and
a friend were comissioned to paint a series of pictures depicting important
periods of European art.

Hurry up as the bridge is not there for ever. The works are 12 metres above
the Entrance Hall - this is the only way to look at them properly.
(on until 06.05.12) 

The view down from the bridge. Kunst Historischen Museum, Vienna.

Francesco Vezzoli's faux commercial: GREED - directed by Roman Polanski,
featuring Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman at the
Salvador Dali - Le Surrealisme, c'est moi! exhibition last summer.
Kunsthalle, Vienna

Max Weiler (1910 – 2001) was not only a great painter but an amazing graphic artist. His exhibition in Vienna at the Albertina presents 150 beautiful works on paper – from those 4000 works he produced in 70 years.  Walking along the rooms you will learn how his drawings evolved.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is the 10-meter-long charcoal work Naturgebild (Natural Formation). Take a seat in front of it and enjoy the view.

His last drawing is also on display in a little cabinet in the last room. It is quite a small and colourful piece. Don’t miss it.

Max Weiler, the Draughtsman, Albertina, Vienna - exhibition is on until 16.10.11
photo by Török Viktória



25 days and the MUMOK (Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien)
will be open again. Exciting - exciting! Vienna, photo by Török Viktória

TONSPUR passage in the MuseumQuartier in Vienna. Artist, curator
and professor Peter Weibel took over the space this year. His sound
 installation (Life in the 20th century:225 Million Homicides. An Oratory)
 is on until the 20th of August. photo by Török Viktória

TONSPUR - soundworks, a project by Georg Weckwerth and Peter Szely,
Since 2003 the TONSPUR series has featured sound works created by international
artists in the public space of the MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, photo by Török Viktória

Works of Francesco Vezzoli: Surrealiz. View at the Kunsthalle in
 Vienna at the Salvador Dali - Le Surrealisme, c'est moi! exhibition.
photo by Török Viktória

In Vienna the Albertina Contemporary permanent exhibition presents the newest acquisitions of the collection. There are great works by Anselm Kiefer in one of the rooms – I probably spent the longest time there. Works also can be seen by Alex Katz, Gerhard Richter, Damien Hirst and many more.

I like the Albertina as after finishing with all the exhibitions to chill I visit the Habsburg Staterooms. The chandeliers, furnitures and the textiles are amazing and in the first room there are works by Egon Schiele, too.      

Albertina, Vienna (and horses), photo by Török Viktória

Albertina Contemporary, Vienna, photo by Török Viktória

Albertina, Vienna, one of the Staterooms, photo by Török Viktória

When I decided to visit Vienna I started to look for works by Markus Schinwald, too. He is representing Austria on the Venice Biennale this year and I quite liked the pavilion and his works (not the paintings, though). In Venice there is a video work by him, a 2 channelled projection (Orient) that I really liked. In his vision in the pavilion the viewer turns into a performer and the pavilion itself into a closed stage. His obsession with legs was quite obvious as he created walls in the pavilion those allowed to see one’s legs only. Also looking up you could see furniture legs on the walls.

Searching for Schinwald I found the Salvador Dali exhibition online that just opened in the Kunsthalle (Le Surrealisme, c'est moi!). His surreal works are confronted with 4 contemporary artist’s works (Louise Bourgeois, Glenn Brown, Markus Schinwald and Francesco Vezzoli – reassessing his works in the mirror of present day art. Each room is set up with relevant works from Dali and one of the contemporary artists. Worth visiting even if you think you had enough art for the day as it is a small and entertaining exhibition.  

Markus Schinwald: Orient, Pavilion of Austria, Venice Biennale,
photo by Török Viktória 

Markus Schinwald: Orient, Pavilion of Austria, Venice Biennale,
photo by Török Viktória

On the right the exhibition poster of Le Surrealisme, c'est moi, Salvador Dali,
Vienna, Kunsthalle, photo by Török Viktória

Markus Schinwald's aquarium at the Dali exhibition,
Vienna, Kusthalle, photo by Török Viktória

View at the Dali exhibition, on the right a black and white painting by Glenn Brown,
on the left the work of Salvador Dali, Vienna, Kunsthalle, photo by Török Viktória

  

I had a day trip to Vienna. There are two exhibitions opened to public today so it was a good excuse to visit this beautiful city. First I went to the Albertina to see their latest accessions in the area of contemporary art and then I left for the Kunsthalle in the MuseumsQuartier to see the new show on Salvador Dali. In the Albertina there is also an exhibition on Modernism (Monet to Picasso – The Batliner Collection) and Max Weiler. The journey took three hours on the train from Budapest so today in total I spent 6 hours travelling and 7 hours in Vienna (art & shopping). I am exhausted; good night!  

Albertina, Hall of the Muses, Vienna, photo by Török Viktória