The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, a Baroque jewel, consisting of two palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. It was built during a period of extensive construction in Vienna, which at the time was both the imperial capital and home to the ruling Habsburg dynasty. The Belvedere was the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who successfully concluded a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire.

Today the palace houses the Belvedere Museum, a point of reference in a disorienting present. This historical constant links the past with the future. 

In Belvedere, exhibits are presented from the following epochs:

Renaissance (1200-1600): The earliest works in Belvedere’s collection are paintings and sculptures dating from the late 12th century up to around 1600. These displays chart the transition from Romanesque to Gothic art and finally to the emerging Renaissance.

Baroque (1600-1800): Pomp and drama characterize Baroque art, yet in this period we also encounter realistic depictions of landscapes and everyday objects. Important works com- missioned by the aristocracy and the Church paint a diverse picture of the time. Unique is Franz Xaver Messerschmidt’s “Character Heads,” a mysterious series that has inspired multiple interpretations and continues to fascinate viewers to this day.

Neo-Classicism/Biedermeier (1800-1865): in the late 18th century, society and conceptions of art started to change. Artists began looking less to the events of the past for their subject matter and turned their attention to the here and now, with all its social contrasts in town and country. At the same time, the depiction of nature gained in importance with the mountains of the Salzkammergut and the Berchtesgadener Land as particularly popular motifs.

Vienna around 1900: Toward the end of the 19th century, Vienna was growing into a metropolis. Numerous artists were engaged in creating decorative schemes for the grand buildings of the Ringstrasse. This flourishing of the arts paved the way for the foundation of the Vienna Secession. Gustav Klimt was already Vienna’s most acclaimed painter; the Belvedere acquired The Kiss during the artist’s lifetime. This period also saw growing recognition and renown for women artists.

Emerging Modernism (1900-1920): Industrialization fundamentally altered society. Higher educational standards were needed and the state professionalized schools and vocational training, drawing tuition included. This had a profound impact on artistic creativity. At the same time, new technology simplified and accelerated communication and exchange, as demonstrated by artistic networks and magazines such as Der Sturm and Die Aktion.

Avant-gardes (1920s – 1950s): For many artists, the end of World War I restored opportunities to discuss concepts and utopias in an international exchange of ideas. The rise of nationalism, totalitarian dictatorships, and finally World War II isolated artists and destroyed livelihoods. It was only after 1945 that combined efforts gradually reunited artists and international commonalities fostered an openness to new approaches in art.

Avant-gardes (1960s – 1970s): In the 1960s, the relationship between art and society became highly dynamic. Viennese Actionism reacted to the repressive religious and post-Nazi atmosphere by provocatively introducing the human body as a material of art. At the same time, in the course of the civil rights and women’s movements, a generation of feminist artists emerged who dismantled patriarchal structures and gender roles.