Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. April 2019
What a strangely translated name into English, but in German it must sound less didactic and more "usual". This museum and its twin across the plaza (Museum of Natural History) were built in the waning years of the Hapsburg Empire. Ground was broken in 1871 and it was completed 20 years later. The word luxe does not even begin to describe this art museum. It may be one of the finest purpose-built art museums ever made - or at least of its era.
Europe is filled with palaces which have become art museums. The Louvre immediately springs to mind, but there are countless others across the continent. Vienna also has its share of palace-cum-museums such as the Albertina [see: Albertina] and the Belvedere [see: Belvedere]. The Art History Museum, on the other hand, was a purpose-built museum to showcase the great art collection of the House of Habsburg. In effect, the museum was built to look like a palace that was converted into a museum. The finishings of the interior are an example of what deep pockets and a lot of labor can provide [see: Museum of Islamic Art]. The museum is one of the finest in the world and yet it is not usually on everyone's list as a "must-visit" in Vienna.
The photos of this post showcase the grand public rooms of the museum, but there are other, smaller parts of the museum, such as the Egyptian Collection that are also purpose-built to display the artifacts in more context. The Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City is placed inside a decoration-less atrium on a reflecting pool so all eyes are on the building. The Egyptian collection in the Art History Museum of Vienna by contrast is in a room whose walls and display cases mimic the original settings. It is one of the finest displays of Egyptian Art outside of Egypt from a presentation point of view.
The superlatives of the museum were endless for me. It was the only place I visited in Vienna where I became so lost in the experience I totally forgot about the crappy weather outside. I was thankful for the cold and rain that drove me inside that building - a sunnier day might have had me explore elsewhere and I would have missed one of the best museums in Europe. And that is saying a lot considering all the museums I have visited in Europe over the years.
Even if I was an ame-otoko ("a man who brings rain" in Japanese) for most of the vacation in Vienna, the Art History Museum was a complete surprise and bonus. It quickly was propelled into one of the top museums I ever visited anywhere!
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