In 2015, a major American collaboration will bring masterworks amassed by one of the longest-reigning European dynasties to the United States. Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial Collections showcases masterpieces and rare objects from the collection of the Habsburg Dynasty—the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and other powerful rulers who commissioned extraordinary artworks now in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The exhibition, largely composed of works that have never traveled outside of Austria, will be on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA); the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH); and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.
Debuting in Minneapolis in February 2015 before traveling to
Houston and Atlanta, Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial
Collections explores the dramatic rise and fall of the Habsburgs’ global
empire, from their political ascendance in the late Middle Ages to the height
of their power in the 16th and 17th centuries, the expansion of the dynasty in
the 18th and 19th centuries to its end in 1918 with the conclusion of World War
I. The 93 artworks and artifacts that tell the story include arms and armor,
sculpture, Greek and Roman antiquities, court costumes, carriages,
decorative-art objects, and paintings by such masters as Correggio, Giorgione,
Rubens, Tintoretto, Titian, and Velázquez. Key masterpieces that have never
before traveled to the United States include:
• A portrait of Jane Seymour (1536), Queen of England and
third wife to Henry VIII, by Hans Holbein the Younger
• Jupiter and Io (c. 1530/32) by Correggio
Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial
Collections is organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; the Museum of
Fine Arts, Houston; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; and the Kunsthistorisches
Museum, Vienna.
The exhibition will be on view in Minneapolis from February 15 to May 10, 2015; Houston from June 14 to September 13, 2015; and Atlanta from October 18, 2015, to January 17, 2016.
The exhibition will be on view in Minneapolis from February 15 to May 10, 2015; Houston from June 14 to September 13, 2015; and Atlanta from October 18, 2015, to January 17, 2016.
“The exhibition grew out of a visit to the Kunsthistorisches
Museum’s famed Kunstkammer Wien, a veritable treasure box of masterworks and
one of Europe’s great cultural gems,” explained Michael E. Shapiro, the Nancy
and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director of the High. “The Kunstkammer only recently
reopened after a nine-year renovation that hid the majority of the art from
public view. For American audiences, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to
peek inside the chambers of one of the most important imperial art collections
in the world.”
“Habsburg Splendor is an unprecedented presentation and
wide-ranging survey of the Habsburg Dynasty, a true visual feast,” said Kaywin
Feldman, director and president of the MIA and hosting curator. “By bringing
together the Habsburgs’ paintings, decorative arts, costumes and armor, we can
give our visitors a rich, tangible and fascinating sense of the lives and
legacies of these important European rulers who shaped world history.”
“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with our partner
institutions in Minneapolis and Atlanta to bring to our audiences so many
extraordinary masterpieces of European art,” said Gary Tinterow, director of
the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. “The selection of paintings—by Giorgione,
Titian, Correggio, Arcimboldo, Rubens and Velázquez, among others—is simply
staggering. And, I know our visitors will be captivated by the carriages,
armor, liveried horses and pomp of the court costumes.”
“We’re delighted to share our Museum´s unique wonders with
our American friends,” added Dr. Sabine Haag, general director of
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. “The exhibition will show the extraordinary wide
range of the Habsburgs’ collections, including masterpieces of Roman antiquity,
medieval armory, early modern painting and craftwork, as well as gorgeous
carriages and clothing. We hope this will inspire visitors to make the trip to
Vienna to see the collection in person and to discover even more of our
treasure.”
Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial
Collections chronicles the Habsburgs’ story in three chapters, each featuring a
three-dimensional “tableau”—a display of objects from the Habsburgs’ opulent
court ceremonies—as context for the other works on view.
DAWN OF THE DYNASTY
The first section features objects commissioned or collected
by the Habsburgs from the 13th through the 16th centuries. In this late
medieval/early Renaissance period, Habsburg rulers staged elaborate
commemorative celebrations to demonstrate power and to establish their
legitimacy to rule, a tradition that flourished during the reigns of Maximilian
I and his heirs. Works from this era—including sabres and armor, tapestries,
Roman cameos and large-scale paintings—illustrate the significance of war and
patronage in expanding Habsburg influence and prestige.
Tableau: Suits of armor displayed on horseback, and jousting
weapons from a royal tournament.
Highlights include:
• Armor of Emperor Maximilian I (c. 1492) made by Lorenz
Helmschmid
• Bronze bust of Emperor Charles V (c. 1555) by Leone Leoni
• A rock crystal goblet made for Emperor Frederick III
(1400–1450)
GOLDEN AGE
The second and largest section of the exhibition highlights
the apex of Habsburg rule, the Baroque Age of the 17th and 18th centuries. The
dynasty used religion, works of art and court festivities to propagate its
self-image and claim to rule during this politically tumultuous time. Paintings
by Europe’s leading artists demonstrate the wealth and taste of the Habsburg
rulers, while crucifixes wrought in precious metals and gems, as well as
sumptuous ecclesiastical vestments, reflect the emperor’s role as defender of the
Catholic faith.
Tableau: A procession featuring a Baroque ceremonial
carriage and sleigh, with carvings by master craftsman Balthasar Ferdinand
Moll.
Highlights include:
• An ivory tankard (1642) by Hans Jacob Bachmann
• Infanta Maria Teresa (1652–53), a portrait of the daughter
of Philip IV of Spain and eventual wife of Louis XIV of France, by Velázquez
• An alchemical medal (1677), illustrated with portraits in
relief of the Habsburgs, by Johann Permann
TWILIGHT OF THE EMPIRE
The exhibition concludes with works from the early 19th
century, when the fall of the Holy Roman Empire gave rise to the hereditary
Austrian Empire—a transition from the ancien régime to a modern state in which
merit determined distinction and advancement. Franz Joseph, who would reign
longer than any previous Habsburg, saw the growth of nationalism and ultimately
ruled over a dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. As heir to the Habsburg
legacy—and in the spirit of public education and enrichment—he founded the
Kunsthistorisches Museum in 1891. Reflecting the modernization of the Habsburg
administration, the exhibition ends with a spectacular display of official
court uniforms and dresses.
Tableau: Uniforms and women’s gowns from the court of Franz
Joseph.
Highlights include:
• Campaign uniform of Franz Joseph (1907)
• A velvet dress made for Empress Elisabeth (c. 1860/65)
• An evening gown made for Princess Kinsky (c. 1905)
• Ceremonial dress of Crown Prince Otto for the Hungarian
Coronation (1916)
More images:
The Three Philosophers by Giorgione
More images:
| Year | c. 1505–1509 |
|---|---|
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 123 cm × 144 cm (48 in × 57 in) |
| Location | Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Fire, 1566, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner,
director of the Imperial Carriage Museum, Vienna. The hosting curator at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts is Kaywin Feldman, director. At the Museum of
Fine Arts, Houston, the lead hosting curator is Dr. David Bomford, director of
conservation; his curatorial team comprises Dr. Helga Aurisch, curator,
European art, and Christine Gervais, associate curator, decorative arts and
Rienzi. At the High Museum of Art, the hosting curator is Dr. David A. Brenneman,
director of collections and exhibitions and Frances B. Bunzl Family Curator of
European art.
A full-color catalogue is being published by the Museum of
Fine Arts, Houston, with essays by Dr. Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner, director of
the Imperial Carriage Museum, Vienna; Dr. Franz Pichorner, deputy director,
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna; and Dr. Stefan Krause, curator of arms and
armor, Kunsthistorisches Museum. Additionally, a virtual exhibition of
additional pieces will be viewable online, deepening the visitor experience and
providing further opportunities for the public to engage with the art and its
history.
A Brief History of the Habsburgs
The noble House of Habsburg rose to prominence in the late
Middle Ages through strategic marriages, political alliances and conquest. In
1273, count Rudolph IV gained control of Germany as King of the Romans, and
Habsburg domains continued to grow leading up to Pope Nicholas V’s coronation
of Frederick III as Holy Roman Emperor in 1452. Under Frederick’s son
Maximilian I and his successor, Charles V, the Habsburgs achieved world-power
status, assuming the title of emperor without papal consent and enfolding Spain
and Burgundy into the Habsburg-controlled territories. The dynasty split into
Spanish and Austrian branches shortly thereafter, and in the 17th and 18th
centuries the male lines died out, resulting in the loss of Spain.
In 1740, Maria Theresa—the sole female Habsburg ruler, who
reigned for a remarkable 40 years—seized control of the Austrian line to become
the final ruler of the House of Habsburg. The early 19th century witnessed the
final demise of the Holy Roman Empire and the establishment of the main
Habsburg line’s successors: the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. A hundred years
later, in 1916, Emperor Charles I inherited a dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy
upon the death of longtime Emperor Franz Joseph. More than 600 years of
Habsburg sovereignty came to an end in 1918 with the close of World War I.
High Museum of Art
The High is the leading art museum in the southeastern U.S.
With more than 14,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum
of Art has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American and
decorative art; significant holdings of European paintings; a growing collection
of African- American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary
art, photography, folk art and African art. The High is also dedicated to
supporting and collecting works by Southern artists. For more information about
the High, visit www.high.org
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Home to more than 85,000 works of art representing 5,000
years of world history, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) inspires
wonder, spurs creativity and nourishes the imagination. With extraordinary
exhibitions and one of the finest wide-ranging art collections in the
country—Rembrandt to van Gogh, Monet to Matisse, Asian to African—the MIA links
the past to the present, enables global conversations and offers an exceptional
setting for inspiration. The 2013 fiscal year marked the highest
attendance—679,357 visitors—in the nearly 100-year history of the MIA. For more
information, visit www.artsmia.org
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Founded in 1900, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is among
the 10 largest art museums in the United States. Located in the heart of
Houston’s Museum District, the Museum comprises two gallery buildings, a
sculpture garden, theater, two art schools and two libraries, with two house
museums for American and European decorative arts nearby. The encyclopedic
collection numbers some 65,000 works and embraces the art of antiquity to the
present. The Museum’s collection of some 30,000 photographs spanning the full
history of the medium is internationally renowned. For more information, visit
www.mfah.org
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien is one of the foremost
museums in the world, with rich holdings comprising artworks from seven millennia,
from Ancient Egypt to the late 18th century. The collections of Renaissance and
Baroque art are of particular importance. The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien’s
extensive holdings are on show at different locations: the main building on
Ringstrasse houses the Picture Gallery, Kunstkammer Wien, the Collection of
Greek and Roman Antiquities, the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection and the
Coin Collection. Other collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien are
housed in the Neue Burg (i.e. the Collection of Historical Musical Instruments,
the Collection of Arms and Armour and the Ephesus Museum), in Hofburg Palace
(the Treasury), and in Schönbrunn Palace (the Collection of Historical
Carriages). The collections on show at Ambras Castle in Innsbruck are also part
of the holdings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien.
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