ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Otto Wagner's design for a new Academy of Fine Arts was among the most important projects in the Viennese architect's career. Wagner (1841-1918), the leading architect of late imperial Vienna, first proposed the new academy complex in 1898, the year of Emperor Franz Josef's jubilee. This exhibition unites Wagner's elaborate presentation watercolors and drawings for the opulent complex with the magnificent three-dimensional gilded model he prepared for both the emperor's and the mayor's consideration. Although his design was never approved, Wagner continued to advocate for the project until 1910, refining his conception through sumptuous drawings that reflect his evolving modernism.

Above image

Model of the Imperial Entrance Hall of the Academy of Fine Arts of Vienna (Akademie der bildinden Künste)(detail)
1898
Maple and gilt bronze
Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien