Museum of art History and Fine Arts
The Museum of Art History and Fine Arts in Vienna is the counterpart of the Museum of Natural History, as they form a pair of twin buildings around the Maria Theresa square. It was officially opened by emperor Franz Joseph I in October 1891. Even then, it encompassed seven collections, ranging from Egyptian artifacts, coins, medals and antiques, to weapons and art industrial objects, to the collection of paintings, watercolors, sketches and graphics.
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Today, the Museum of Art History and Fine Arts, with its powerful dome crowned by a bronze figure of Pallas Athene, is home to a variety of exhibits ranging over seven millenniums. The most impressive collections are those of Renaissance and Baroque art.
The impressive Egyptian collection presents the cult of Death, the history of Egyptian culture, visual arts and the evolution of writing. Here, you can contemplate the richly adorned cult chamber of Ka-ni-nisut of the Old Kingdom, several sarcophagi, animal mummies, books of the Dead, god statues, as well as everyday Egyptian objects and a lion representation from the Gate of Ishtar.
Noteworthy items from the antique collection are the unique precious cameos, a sizable votive statue, the Amazon sarcophagus, and many more.
The paintings' collection features Venice paintings from the 16th century, Flemish 17th century works, old Netherlands' and old German works, Italian baroque paintings as well as many others, by authors such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Raffael, Caravaggio, Velasquez, Titian.
Late Medieval German Sculpture. Fine Nuremberg vessels, including the so- called Durer and Maximilian cups. Gothic sculpture including the famous Krumau Madonna and a "Madonna and Child" by Tilman Riemenschneider.
The late Medieval collection features German Gothic sculptures such as the famous Krumau Madonna. The baroque exhibition includes miniature works, ebony statuettes, and reliefs made of Kelheim stone.
Apart from works of art, you can see scientific instruments and automata of the 16th and 17th century on display, such as a rock-crystal clock by Jost Burgi, a heavenly globe by Georg Roll and a Spanish automatic doll.
The Library of the Museum of Art History and Fine Arts features an impressive collection of 256.000 titles, among which incunabula, historical prints and maps, graphical collections, documentation on architecture.
One of the largest collections of Renaissance tapestries is also displayed in this museum. There are hundreds of portraits from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, filled with costume and textile information.
