Leopold Museum
Leopold Museum
ART NOUVEAU AND EXPRESSIONISM
AT THE LEOPOLD MUSEUM
This museum in Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier complex is best known for its incredible collection of works by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. An absolute must for art aficionados of all ages.
My Rating:
The positives:
Who else but Gustav Klimt?! The museum is home to some magnificent masterpieces by the art nouveau master. And there’s plenty to delight fans of Egon Schiele here too!
The negatives:
If you aren’t familiar with the work of these two artists or (God forbid) you aren’t a fan, there may not be much else here for you. But it could be a good chance to get to know them a bit better...
Top tip:
It’s well worth booking your ticket online ;)
Last Modified: 19.03.2024 | Céline
Leopold Museum
TICKETS
The details
at a glance
Passes
Free admission to the Leopold Museum Vienna.
The Vienna Pass is available for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days.
-> More about the Vienna Pass
Reduced admission to the Leopold Museum Vienna.
The Vienna City Card is available for 1, 2 or 3 days.
-> More about the Vienna City Card
LEOPOLD MUSEUM
Photo Gallery
WHAT IS THERE
TO SEE?
As you enter the MuseumsQuartier complex, you’ll see two very practical-looking square buildings. The dark-coloured one is the mumok museum of modern art and the lighter one is the Leopold Museum.
At first glance, it may look like a tiny cube that could do with a few more windows. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the light and airy rooms once you step inside. Are you ready for a journey through the world of art from 1850 onwards? Paintings, furniture, posters and sculptures await! One of the main focal points is Vienna’s transition from the Biedermeier era to the New Objectivity movement. You can also learn all about the Viennese art scene around the turn of the 20th century.
The two biggest names from that period have got to be Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele – the stars of this collection. Two artists from the same era with very little else in common when it comes to their work. The Leopold Museum promises a fascinating insight into the talented pair and it certainly delivers!
LEOPOLD MUSEUM
A BIT OF HISTORY
The Leopold Museum at the MuseumsQuartier complex in Vienna officially opened its doors in 2001, but its collection of art dates back a lot further than that. All the way back to married couple Rudolf and Elisabeth Leopold. The former ophthalmologists focused their collection on Schiele and Klimt in the 1950s, before the artists became big names and the prices for their work shot up. That explains how they managed to amass an incredible 220 works of art by Egon Schiele!
In 1994, Rudolf Leopold sold 5200 masterpieces to the newly set up Leopold Museum Private Foundation. They went on to be put on public display at the museum at the MuseumsQuartier in 2001.
The museum has only ever been located at the same building designed by architects Laurids and Manfred Ortner. Well, they actually designed the entire MuseumsQuartier complex, including the mumok museum of modern art. They may both be square buildings but the Leopold Museum is clad in white shell limestone from the Danube River whilst the mumok has a lava stone facade.
A dragonfly – designed by the same architects and known as the MQ-Libelle – sits on top of the Leopold Museum. You can even go up to the viewing terrace and take a look for yourself! It’s free of charge and easy to access via two lifts on the outside of the museum building. There’s even a kiosk up there. Where better to enjoy a beautiful view of the MuseumsQuartier and the rest of the city in peace?
Official website of the Leopold Museum in Vienna (EN): www.leopoldmuseum.org/en
Copyright: © Céline Mülich, 2020–2024
Source for image in header: Permanent exhibition ‘Vienna 1900. Birth of Modernism’: Hanak sculpture at the front with sculptures by Barlach and paintings by Egger-Lienz in the background
Courtesy of the Leopold Museum in Vienna.
