Vienna 2018: Beauty and the Abyss. Klimt.Schiele.Wagner.Moser.
In 2018 Vienna will celebrate Modernism and four of the era’s chief protagonists, all of whom died in 1918. The painters Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, the architect Otto Wagner and the universal artist Koloman Moser all left an indelible mark on Vienna around 1900. The life and work of these four protagonists of Viennese modernism will be remembered at numerous exhibitions and events during the anniversary year. Many of their works are on permanent display.
The Belvedere owns the world’s largest collection of works by Klimt with 24 paintings by the great artist, including his world-famous piece The Kiss. One of Klimt’s key works, Death and Life, is on show at the Leopold Museum alongside numerous other paintings by the Art Nouveau genius. The Beethoven Frieze at the Secession is another Klimt highlight.
The Leopold Museum at the MuseumsQuartier has the world’s largest and most important collections of works by Egon Schiele, with more than 40 paintings and around 180 works on paper in its holdings. It also has its own Egon Schiele document center which takes an academic look at this exceptional artist’s oeuvre. The Belvedere and the Albertina also have their fair share of masterpieces by Schiele.
The pioneering architect and urban planner Otto Wagner worked on a host of prestigious projects in Austria’s capital and left behind an impressive legacy in Vienna. His main works are the Austrian Post Savings Bank, the Church of St. Leopold at Steinhof, the apartment buildings on the Wienzeile, the Court Pavilion in Hietzing and the Stadtbahn Pavilions on Karlsplatz. Parts of his grandiose Stadtbahn railway (now sections of the U4 and U6 underground lines and the S45 S-Bahn rapid transit line) are still in use today.
Works by the universal artist Koloman Moser and others can be seen at the MAK — Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art as well as the Leopold Museum. The MAK is also the owner of the Wiener Werkstätte company archive.
For more information about Vienna 2018: Beauty and the Abyss, click here or here. Klimt.Schiele.Wagner.Moser. Photos for the 2018 theme year are available from the Vienna Tourist Board’s image library (Menu item: Viennese Modernism 2018).
Thank you to Wien Tourismus for their contribution to this article.
