Exploring Vienna

Vienna, with its grand museums, historic sites, and stunning architecture, provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s inspirational journey!

Besides enjoying the city’s beautiful architecture, small cafes and bars, we also visited a number of remarkable museums:

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna: This institution, with its rich history and impressive collection, offered us a glimpse into the academic tradition of European art. The visit was an incredible opportunity to see masterpieces up close and understand the techniques and styles that have shaped realist art through the centuries.

Ernst Fuchs-Museum, dedicated to the works of the visionary artist Ernst Fuchs. His unique blend of realism and surrealism challenged us to think outside the conventional boundaries of realist art and explore more imaginative realms.

Kunsthistorisches Museum, (often referred to as the “Museum of Fine Arts”) is housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, and crowned with an octagonal dome. It is the largest art museum in Austria and one of the most important museums worldwide. Here we explored paintings by Caravaggio, Rubens, and Vermeer.

The Leopold Museum introduced us to the wonderful works of Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt.

At the Museum of Natural History, students sketched detailed studies of the various exhibits, from ancient fossils to intricate minerals.

The Belvedere, with its beautiful gardens and impressive art collection, provided a serene environment for us to sketch and absorb the beauty of both nature and art, and the works of Gustav Klimt were a lovely source of inspiration.

The Hofburg Palace: The beautiful palace offered opportunities for us to practice capturing the intricate architectural details.