Official review: “Art History Museum” (Vienna)

FINDING THAT DOOR. Massive scaffoldings tell you that the museum is under repair. You need to walk into the square to find the entrance.

"Art History Museum" (Vienna)

LOWER FLOORS. These lower-floor galleries show us ancient artifacts and the line between art and applied arts are blurred. You can buy an audio guide at the main hall (ground floor). Otherwise, much of the display texts here is only in German – especially the Greco-Roman and many parts of the Egyptian galleries.

You can get a hang of the time periods easily: Jh. = century, n. Chr. = A. D., v. Chr. = B. C.

The other side of the mezzanine holds a vast collection as gathered by the Habsburg Monarchy. You can imagine this diverse assortment of stuff as what we in the modern days call “hoarding”. A high-end kind of hoarding though, and it’s in their culture to gather a comprehensive “survey” of everything from natural curiosities to art to utensils to exotic artifacts. Mainly art. And also jugs and bowls and bells and compasses.

From room to room all exhibits here are arranged along a (largely Habsburg’s) historical timeline. So you’ll find yourself reading from the wall introductions about what happens to, for example, Charles V and Ferdinand I, as you walk through the stuff each of these monarchs is interested in.

Clip: "Art History Museum" (Vienna)

UPPER FLOORS. The upstairs follow what international galleries do. They give you “world renowned painters”. You will see names like Peter Paul Rubens and van Eyck, and the other half of the floor is dedicated to the Western Western Europe (no surprise – Italy, then Spain, then France). Think Caravaggio, Velazquez etc.

The top floor showcases the Vermeyen Cartoons and the museum’s coin collection.


Time is asset: save it for better with 25-min museum tours. Or find yourself in my novel, check out the photo of the day and finish it off with a secret prize.

Tags - in_depth_tourism; museum; London_writer; London_travel; indie_writer; independent_blogger