The exhibition focuses on the medal as an art object. The Kunstkammer and the Coin Cabinet provide the setting for this. Medals are above all collector’s items. They convey political messages or serve as awards for special achievements. Medals also commemorate a person or a special occasion, such as a marriage or an accession to the throne.
Medals were also produced at the courts of the Habsburg family over the centuries. The exhibition shows portraits of important family members from 1500 to the end of the monarchy in 1918 and takes visitors to the courts in Madrid, Prague, Vienna and Innsbruck. Many medallists were active there. Employment as a court artist brings many advantages and a high reputation. It is therefore highly coveted.
70 medals from 400 years are juxtaposed with works of sculpture and painting. The Prunk & Prägung exhibition follows artists who often work in several art forms. They produce medals, but are also architects, painters, sculptors or goldsmiths. The exhibition shows medals together with other works by the same artists. Their working methods changed over the centuries: In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, artists produced sculptures, paintings and similar works in addition to medals. In later times, they specialized entirely in medals.
KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM WIEN
Built by Karl Hasenauer and Gottfried von Semper between 1871 and 1891, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien ranks among the most renowned museums in the world. Its magnificent architecture provides a worthy setting for collections the Habsburgs built over centuries. These encompass objects from five millennia, i.e. from the time of Ancient Egypt to the end of the 18th century.
Splendor & coinage: The emperors and their court artists
13 Feb 2024 - 13 Oct 2024
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
Maria-Theresien-Platz, Maria-Theresien-Platz, Wien, Österreich