The Albertina Museum in Vienna is one of the most important art museums in the world, located in the Palais Erzherzog Albrecht (also known as Albrechtspalais), a historic residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna's 1st district, right next to the Hofburg Palace. The striking name Albertina refers to the founder of the collection: Albert Casimir, Duke of Saxe-Teschen, son-in-law of Empress Maria Theresa. In addition to the works on permanent display at the Albertina, there are works by important artists that are shown in various temporary exhibitions.
The Albertina is home to all the great artists of modern and contemporary art history. From French Impressionism and Fauvism to works by the Expressionist artist groups and the Russian avant-garde to numerous masterpieces by Picasso, all the groundbreaking ideas of modern and contemporary art are at home in the Albertina.
The graphic collection offers a true panorama of art: founded in 1776 by Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, it now comprises over a million drawings and prints from the late Gothic period to the present day. From Michelangelo and Dürer to Rembrandt and Rubens, from Klimt and Schiele to Picasso, Richter and Lassnig – the collection provides a rich overview of 600 years of art history.
Today, the Albertina's photo collection is the most important and largest collection of artistic photography in Austria. Around 100,000 photo-historical treasures trace the most important photographic developments and introduce various genres such as portrait, architecture, landscape photography and street photography from the beginnings of the medium to the present day. The photographic masterpieces of the Albertina are shown in changing presentations in the Galleries for Photography.
Whether it's baroque cityscapes, magnificent Renaissance buildings or architectural ensembles such as Vienna's Ringstrasse, the Albertina's architecture collection offers a fascinating overview of the genre of architectural drawing with over 40,000 plans, studies and models. From the late Gothic to contemporary architecture, important works by Bernini, Borromini, Hansen, Wagner, Loos, Hollein, Hadid and many more are represented.
For around 100 years, the museum was the residence of Habsburg archdukes and archduchesses. 20 sumptuously furnished and lavishly restored state rooms bear witness to this period, with valuable wall coverings, chandeliers, fireplaces, exquisite inlays and fine furniture taking you into the magnificent realm of classicism.
Modigliani – Picasso. Revolution of Primitivism
Throughout his life, he was battered by poverty, strokes of fate, drug excesses and serious illness, and was only able to pay for rent and the bare necessities of survival with his art. Today, the Livorno artist Amadeo Modigliani, who died in 1920 at the age of only 35, is one of the most expensive artists in history, whose paintings fetch hundreds of millions of dollars.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death, the Albertina Museum in Vienna is paying tribute to Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) with a spectacular retrospective comprising around 125 objects from three continents. The show, originally planned for the anniversary year 2020, was postponed due to its importance and the pandemic: now this fascinating, powerful artist is also being shown in Austria for the first time. The exhibition brings together major works from the most prestigious museums and private collections from the USA to Singapore, from Great Britain to Russia, with larger collections from the Musée Picasso, Paris, and the Jonas Netter Collection, who was a great patron of Modigliani during his lifetime. It will place the artist within a unique circle of avant-garde painters, while at the same time positioning him at the center of what can be described as the revolution of primitivism.
The life of Modigliani, the painter and sculptor who failed at an early age, can hardly be surpassed in terms of drama: at the age of eleven, Modigliani suffered from severe pleurisy. At the age of 14, in 1898, he fell ill with typhoid fever, a disease considered fatal at the time. Later, he suffered from chronic tuberculosis, which ultimately cost the 35-year-old his life. Two days later, his fiancée, Jeanne Hébuterne, who was eight months pregnant, took her own life.
Amedeo Modigliani Girl with Red Hair, 1918 Red-Haired Girl © Private Collection
Archaic and avant-garde
Modigliani often referred to the Renaissance in his works, but also took up African, primitivist art. It is precisely this lifelong engagement with the art of primitivism that the unique show at the ALBERTINA Museum pays particular attention to: Modigliani's oeuvre is juxtaposed with works by his opponents Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brâncuşi and André Derain, as well as artefacts from so-called "primitive" cultures – prehistoric, archaic or non-European.
Modigliani's life shrouded in legend and his artistic crossing of boundaries play a special role in art history: and he did so without being a trailblazer or pioneer in the strict sense. He was in contact with the greats of his time in the middle of Paris's Montmartre and leaves us impressive portraits of Picasso, Matisse and Diego Rivera – and yet he remained unrecognized throughout his life. Scandals surrounding his allegedly pornographic images also inhibited his success. Stylistically, the Italian artist always remained an outsider and loner who pursued his own art. And yet his avant-garde bridging between modern art and epochs centuries ago represents an outstanding, completely individual contribution to art history.
17 September 2021 to 9 January 2022
