Ceiling painting by Klimt

The Museum of Fine Arts which boasts, among other artworks, the largest collection of Bruegel paintings worldwide, is considered one of the most important museums in the world.

Here, Gustav Klimt created 40 spandrel and intercolumnia paintings (Zwickel- und Intercolummnibilder) in 1891 with his artist colleagues; they worked on those areas that remained free between arches and columns in the splendid stairwell of the museum.

Here, the three painters depicted the main epochs of art history with symbolic figures. An information tablet set into a small table on the balustrade of the stairwell explains the meaning of these figures. This was the last important work by the artists’ group. After the death of his brother Ernst in 1892, Klimt ended his cooperation with Matsch.

Other stations of the Klimt Walk:

• A Klimt Walk through Vienna
• Klimt at the "Burgtheater"
• Klimt's Beethoven Frieze
• Art in Passing: Karlsplatz
• The Leopold Museum
• Apprenticeship of a Genius
• A Kiss makes History

Kunsthistorisches Museum(Museum of Fine Arts)

1., Maria-Theresien-Platz
Tel. 525 24-0
Tue - Sun 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Thu 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
discount with the Vienna-Card

Kunsthistorisches Museum

Klimt Walk: download