Velázquez at the Vienna Art History Museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) in Vienna is one of the most important in the world. Located on the Ringstrasse of the Austrian capital, the magnificent building that contains this cultural institution and the one directly opposite, the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum), were built by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph in the late 19th century to house the imperial collections.

Vienna Art History Museum / KHM Museumsverband

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At Vienna Art History Museum (from now on KHM for the reader) objects spanning five millennia are exhibited: from the time of ancient Egypt to the end of the 18th century highlighting, above all, Baroque and Renaissance works of art. But what many people do not know is that the KHM from Viena It has one of the most important collections of portraits of one of the best known Spanish painters of all time: Diego Velázquez. But … why the KHM Vienna has, to be exact, 14 works by this universal artistl?

Stairs of the Museum of Art History in Vienna / © Sebastian Wurziwal

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From Philip IV to Vienna

King Felipe IV of Spain, also called the Great, had very little expertise in State affairs but, on the contrary, he was a patron of the arts and festivals at the Court, promoting culture and standing out in literary and artistic creation. and theatrical. Not surprisingly, the German historian Pfande described him as a Hercules for pleasure but a powerless one for the government. It should be noted that its vast pictorial collection constitutes the central nucleus of the current Prado Museum in Madrid. His great friendship with Velázquez – they met when the painter was 16 and the monarch was 21 years old – was perhaps one of the greatest achievements of Felipe IV, who named the Sevillian artist painter to the Spanish Court.

The pictorial collection of the Vienna Art History Museum is spectacular

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Thus, Diego Velázquez, who was never in Vienna, portrayed all the members of the Royal Family, including the Infanta Margarita, whom they promised from birth to her uncle, Leopold I of Habsburg. So that her future husband could see how the infanta grew – whom she affectionately called Gretel – they sent all the portraits that Velázquez made of the Spanish princess to Vienna. These paintings helped Leopoldo to know how his future wife and niece was physically evolving since they did not know each other until their wedding. This is the reason why the KHM exhibits works such as “The Infanta Margarita in a pink suit” or “The Infanta Margarita in a blue suit”, among other paintings by the Sevillian. A match 17th century.

The Infanta Margarita in a blue suit ”, by Diego Velázquez

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Velázquez, friend of the king

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Velázquez, the painters painter According to the French artist Edouard Monet, he was born in Seville in 1599 and his career took him to Madrid where he established a fierce friendship with Philip IV, who was joined by his passion for art, sumptuous celebrations, travel and hedonism in general. .

Experts say his portraits are so overwhelming, poignant, and so packed that they need to be looked at a minimum of twice. These works, which ooze both talent and sensitivity, are today among the main masterpieces of Spanish Baroque painting, both in El Prado and in the KHM.

KHM Vienna, art of all ages

In addition to the works of Velázquez, the KHM from Viena It has a spectacular pictorial sample of renowned authors such as Dürer, Rembrandt, Tintoretto, El Bosco, Caravaggio or Vermeer and unique pieces such as the spectacular Cellini salt cellar. It also has one of the best collections in the world by Rubens and Brueghel the Elder. The works of Austrian authors such as Gustav and Ernest Klimt, Franz Matsch and Hans Makart, among others, also decorate the walls of this Viennese art gallery that makes its spaces for events and gala dinners available to the public.

The Vienna Art History Museum hosts events and gala dinners

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Nor can we forget his numismatic collection nor, of course, his works from Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The best way to put an excellent icing on the tour of the KHM from Viena is stopping by its cafeteria and having a delicious strudel with which to sweeten a visit full of beauty and art.

A strudel and a coffee are a magnificent culmination of a visit to the Museum of Art History in Vienna

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Video of Velázquez in Vienna

This audiovisual has a very special presenter. Guess who it is? Hint: he lived five centuries ago.

Video of Velázquez in Vienna

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