Count Lamberg, who had already enjoyed a successful diplomatic career in Italy, may be considered one of the last great aristocratic collectors in Vienna. The decision to leave his outstanding collection of paintings to the Academy was no doubt due to his many years of association with the Academy, which were crowned in the last years of his life with the function of President of the Academic Advisory Committee. Lamberg’s foundation was contingent on the condition that the collection was to be made accessible to everybody. In this way the first art museum in Austria came into existence, at first being housed on the first floor of the historical Academy building, according to an extravagant design by Theophil Hansen in 1877.

To this day, the Painting Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna retains the character of Count Lamberg’s Painting Gallery in the Academy of the Fine Visual Arts, as it was called according to documents dating from the 19th century, and is consequently one of the most valuable collections of European painting in Austria. It  is also an essential and inseparable part of the Academy’s profile. Even today it is still located in immediate proximity to the art university itself, amongst all the art studios, painting classes and instruction rooms. As a result, in the Vienna Academy the old and new are now united under one roof in a unique combination of painting gallery and art school.

The contents of  the Academy’s collection provide a high-quality cross-section through the history of Western art, off the main beaten track of tourism: beginning with the “Last Judgement” triptych of Hieronymus Bosch and panels from the Old Dutch and Old German Schools from Dirc Bouts to Lucas Cranach the Elder, through works by Italian masters such as Botticelli, Titian, Tiepolo and Guardi,it has its special focus in the multi-facetted burger paintings of 17th century Holland, with paintings by Rembrandt, J. van Ruisdael or Asselijn. A special feature is the collection of major works by P. P. Rubens – especially the numerous fascinating oil drafts. As far as the tradition of the Vienna School is concerned, the paintings of Classicism, around 1800 are especially well represented in the Academy with works by Füger, Abel or Petter.

Schillerplatz 3, 1010 Wien

Opening hours: Tues–Sun, holidays, 10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.