Kunsthistorisches Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Kunsthistorisches Museum

Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna with Maria-Theresien-Platz
Established	1871–1891
Location	Maria Theresien Platz Vienna, Austria
Type	Art museum
Visitors	1,688,509 (2023)

Rotunda

Madonna of the Meadow by Raphael, 1506

Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, around 1563

Summer, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1563

Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress by Velázquez

The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien is a famous art museum in Vienna, Austria. Its name means "Vienna Museum of Art History." It is often called the "Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna."

This museum is located in a grand palace-like building on the Vienna Ring Road. The building has a cool octagonal dome on top. It is the biggest art museum in Austria and one of the most important museums in the world.

Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary opened the museum around 1891. At the same time, the Natural History Museum, Vienna opened right across the square. Both buildings look very similar. They were built between 1871 and 1891 by architects Gottfried Semper and Baron Karl von Hasenauer. The emperor wanted these museums to be a special home for the huge art collection of the Habsburg family. He also wanted to make this art available for everyone to see.

The museum buildings are shaped like rectangles. They have matching Renaissance Revival fronts made of sandstone. These fronts have large arched windows on the main floors. The octagonal domes on top are about 60 meters (197 feet) high. Inside, the museums are very fancy. They are decorated with marble, stucco, gold, and murals. The main staircase has amazing paintings by artists like Gustav Klimt and Hans Makart.

Museum Collections
- Picture Gallery: Famous Paintings
- Other Important Collections
Other Museum Locations
- Hofburg Palace Collections
- Other Affiliated Museums
Art and History: Important Events
- Art That Was Taken
- Recent Happenings at the Museum
Images for kids
See also

Museum Collections

The Kunsthistorisches Museum has many different collections. These collections show art and objects from different times and places.

Picture Gallery: Famous Paintings

The main collections in the museum come from the Habsburg family. This includes many portraits and armour pieces. Some of the art came from Ferdinand of Tirol and Emperor Rudolph II. A large collection of paintings also came from Archduke Leopold Wilhelm.

Here are some famous paintings you can see in the picture gallery:

Madonna of the Meadow by Raphael (1506)
The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (around 1563)
Summer by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1563)
Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress by Velázquez
The Crowning with Thorns by Caravaggio (around 1602–1604)
Madonna of the Rosary by Caravaggio (1606–07)
The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1565)
The Peasant Wedding by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568/69)
The Art of Painting by Johannes Vermeer (1665–66)
Self Portrait by Rembrandt (1652)

Other Important Collections

The museum also has other amazing collections:

Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection: This section has ancient artifacts from Egypt and the Middle East.
Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities: Here you can see sculptures, pottery, and other items from ancient Greece and Rome.
Collection of Sculpture and Decorative Arts: This collection features beautiful sculptures and decorative objects.
Coin Collection: You can explore a vast collection of old coins.
Library: The museum also has a large library with books about art and history.

Other Museum Locations

The Kunsthistorisches Museum also manages other important collections and museums in different locations:

Hofburg Palace Collections

Some collections are located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna:

Ephesus Museum: This museum displays ancient Roman artifacts found in Ephesus.
Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments: See musical instruments from long ago.
Imperial Armoury: Discover historical weapons and armor.
Secular and Ecclesiastical Treasury: This special treasury holds valuable items like crowns and jewels.

Other Affiliated Museums

Museum of Carriages and Department of Court Uniforms: Located in Schönbrunn Palace, this museum shows royal carriages and old court uniforms.
Collections of Ambras Castle: This castle in Innsbruck also holds parts of the museum's collections.
The Austrian Theatre Museum: Found in Palais Lobkowitz, this museum is about the history of theater.

The museum also works with:

The Museum of Ethnology in the Neue Burg.
The Lipizzaner-Museum in the Stallburg, which is about the famous Lipizzaner horses.

Art and History: Important Events

Art That Was Taken

Sometimes, during wars or difficult times, art is taken from its owners. After these times, there are efforts to return the art to the families who originally owned it.

In 2010, a group in Austria suggested that the Kunsthistorisches Museum should return two old paintings by a Dutch artist named Maerten van Heemskerck. These paintings belonged to Richard Neumann, a Jewish art collector whose art was taken during World War II.

In 2015, there was a discussion about a painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder called The Fight Between Carnival and Lent. Poland said the painting was taken during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. However, the Kunsthistorisches Museum said they had owned the painting since the 1600s and that the painting Poland was talking about was a different one.

Recent Happenings at the Museum

One of the museum's most valuable objects is the Cellini Salt Cellar. This amazing sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini was stolen in 2003. Luckily, it was found in 2006 buried in a forest! This was the biggest art theft in Austrian history.

A documentary film called The Great Museum (2014) was made about the museum. It shows what happened over two years as the museum got ready to reopen its newly fixed and expanded Kunstkammer rooms in 2013.

From October 2018 to January 2019, the museum held a very special exhibition. It was the largest show ever of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, called Bruegel – Once in a Lifetime.