Austria’s capital is an art lover’s wet dream. The city is an ocean of cultural wealth, and you can spend days, weeks even, wallowing in its artistic splendour. The Leopold Museum Vienna stands out as the one museum that truly represents the country.

Birthplace of the Secession Movement, Vienna’s art scene is like no other. In our attempt to get to know the city a bit better, we spent a few hours in the Leopold, and it was just grand.

Let’s show you what this truly Austrian art museum is all about.

Leopold Museum Vienna entrance
Jin looking at Kokoschka art in the Leopold Museum Vienna

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Quick Guide to Visiting the Leopold Museum in Vienna

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Monday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed on Tuesday

Tickets: Regular admissions 17 €. (Pre-book your tickets here) Discounted for seniors, youths and students.
Free entrance with the Vienna Pass.

How much time: 2.5 – 3 hours

Photography: Allowed free of charge

Still planning your Vienna trip? We recommend staying at Hotel The Weekend

Leopold Museum in a Nutshell

Seccesion art in Vienna

Opened in 2001 in the MuseumsQuartier in the heart of Vienna, the Leopold Museum houses one of the most significant collections of modern Austrian art.

Rudolf Leopold, an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor basically) with a passion for art, began collecting in the 1950s. Over five decades, he amassed over 5,000 pieces, focusing on works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Austrian government acquired his collection in 1994, which led to the museum’s establishment.

Jin walking past paintings in the Leopold Museum Vienna

The museum is renowned for its extensive collection of works by Egon Schiele, an expressionist painter known for his raw and emotive style. When some people refer to the Schiele Museum in Vienna, they are actually talking about the Leopold Museum.

Museum Leopold is home to the world’s largest collection of Schiele art, consisting of 44 paintings and 180 drawings.

The museum also showcases works by Gustav Klimt, a leading figure of the Vienna Secession movement and the city’s golden boy. Klimt’s Death and Life is said to be the artist’s favourite, and it can be seen in Leopold.

In addition to Schiele and Klimt, the Leopold Museum features works by other prominent Austrian artists, such as Kokoschka, Gerstl, Moser, Loos, and Wagner.

Klimt in the Leopold

Early Klimts

Early Klimt paintings in the Museum Leopold Vienna

The Leopold Museum houses an impressive array of early works by Gustav Klimt, showcasing his artistic evolution. Klimt’s early period is characterised by his involvement with the Vienna Secession, a movement he co-founded that aimed to break away from traditional academic art.

Having seen Klimt’s monumental paintings in the Beethoven Frieze, we found the collection of tiny paintings from his early years fascinating.

In his early career, Klimt focused on classical and historical themes and aspired to achieve the greatest possible level of realism, which is evident in works like Seated Young Girl and The Blind Man. These paintings show his academic training and interest in naturalism, characterised by detailed depictions and soft colour palettes.

Klimt’s Death & Life

A photo of my wife from behind while see looks at Death and Life, a Klimt painting in the Leopold Museum Vienna
Jin contemplating Death and Life

Death and Life is a powerful exploration of human existence and remains one of the art world’s most profound meditations on the human condition. Painted in 1910, this large canvas juxtaposes two contrasting themes. It is believed that this was Klimt’s favourite painting.

On one side, a cluster of vividly coloured, entwined human figures represents life, symbolising various stages and aspects of human experience. These figures are painted with intricate patterns and rich, bold colours in Klimt’s characteristic ornamental style.

They are oblivious to death, watching and waiting for them.

Opposite them stands Death, depicted as a skeletal figure cloaked in dark, patterned robes, holding a staff and gazing at the living group. The expression on Death’s face is that of waiting in anticipation, eager and excited even.

Klimt’s decorative approach infuses the scene with both beauty and melancholy, encapsulating his unique blend of realism and symbolism.

Klimt’s Destroyed Faculty Paintings

We loved the fantastic display of Klimt paintings that the Nazis destroyed and a representation of what they are thought to have looked like. Google Arts & Culture used AI and black-and-white photos to recreate what it might have looked like. Of course, the result is just a guess.

In 1894, the Ministry of Education’s art committee commissioned Klimt to decorate the University of Vienna’s ceiling, briefing him to represent the faculties of medicine, law, and philosophy.

Klimt’s final paintings sparked controversy. The ministry had anticipated works reflecting Renaissance ideals, but Klimt altered his initial designs, adopting a Secessionist style instead.

Instead of realistic depictions, Klimt used bold analogies to illustrate how people experienced these academic disciplines.

Many viewed the paintings as pornographic, superstitious, and unattractive. University professors protested, leading Klimt to buy back his artworks and vow never to work for the state again.

These paintings were stored in Immendorf Castle in Lower Austria during World War II for protection. However, the day before the war ended, SS officers burned the castle to prevent the Russians from seizing the art.

Bastards!

Klimt Landscapes

I am sitting on a bench looking at the landscapes by Klimt in the Leopold Museum Vienna
Me taking in the Klimt landscapes

I was not even aware that Klimt dabbled at landscapes, and I have a degree in Art History. Museum Leopold in Vienna taught me something new.

His landscape paintings offer a surprising deviation from his more famous figurative and gold glad works. These pieces, created primarily during his summer retreats, exhibit a different aspect of Klimt’s talent, emphasising his deep appreciation for nature.

Detail of The Large Poplar II by Klimt in the Leopold Museum Vienna
Detail of The Large Poplar II

Works like Litzlbergkeller and The Large Poplar II illustrate his distinctive style through rich colours and intricate patterns, transforming ordinary scenes into almost mosaic-like compositions.

Klimt’s landscapes focus on nature’s tranquility and beauty, devoid of human presence. His technique of layering and texturing reminded me of Monet’s landscapes.

The Secession Movement

A black and white photo of the founders of the Secession Movement
The guys behind the Secession Movement. Klimt is the one sitting on the chair on the left

The Leopold Museum is not only a museum with paintings. It is, in essence, a museum of the Vienna Secession movement, founded in 1897. This avant-garde movement aimed to break away from traditional artistic norms and embrace modernism. It merged fine arts and applied arts, emphasizing the importance of design in everyday objects.

On the third floor, we found a fascinating array of displays dedicated to Secession art, with works by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Otto Wagner, among others.

Secession furniture in the Leopold Museum Vienna

Secessionist artists believed in gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art, where architecture, furniture, jewellery, and decorative arts were harmoniously integrated. They crafted furniture with clean lines and functional designs, often incorporating natural motifs and geometric patterns.

Their jewellery was distinctive for its bold forms, innovative use of materials, and intricate craftsmanship.

Secession jewelry in the Leopold Museum Vienna
Secession glassware in the Leopold Museum Vienna

The Secession also led to a flourishing of decorative arts, with artists producing textiles, ceramics, and glassware that combined aesthetic beauty with usability. The movement’s emphasis on excellent craftsmanship and artistic creativity had a lasting influence on design, impacting Art Nouveau and modernist styles across Europe.

Egon Schiele in the Leopold Museum

Egon Schiele self-portrait in the Leopold Museum Vienna
Egon Schiele – the original hipster

I didn’t know much about Egon Schiele, but he turned out to be the highlight of the Leopold Museum for me. After seeing his stunning works, especially his self-portraits, I came to the conclusion that he was the original hipster.

Egon Schiele was a prominent expressionist painter in the Secession movement. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele’s work often explored themes of sexuality, death, and the human condition. His distinctive style featured contorted figures, bold lines, and intense colours, capturing psychological depth and vulnerability.

Tragically, his life was cut short in 1918 at the age of 28 due to the Spanish flu.

Egon Schiele Landscapes

Egon Schiele painting of a house with laundry
Egon Schiele painting of a house and trees

Egon Schiele’s landscape and cityscape paintings in the Leopold Museum reveal a unique, expressive approach to nature.

Unlike his figurative work, these landscapes emphasize stark, angular forms and dramatic compositions. Paintings such as Setting Sun and House with Drying Laundry showcase his bold use of colour and line.

Schiele’s landscapes often depict solitary trees, barren fields, and fragmented towns, reflecting a sense of isolation and emotional intensity.

We particularly loved his paintings of Krumau (modern-day Český Krumlov in Czechia), where his mother was born.

Egon Schiele Nudes

Jin sits on a bench in the Leopold Museum and looks at nude paintings by Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele’s nude paintings are striking for their raw intensity and emotional depth. As with his other figures, his nudes feature elongated, contorted figures that challenge conventional aesthetics.

His nudes often explore themes of sexuality, intimacy, and existential angst, capturing both physical and emotional states with unflinching honesty.

Egon Schiele Self-portraits

Egon Schiele self-portrait

Egon Schiele’s self-portraits in the Leopold Museum are striking for their psychological depth and raw honesty. Paintings such as Self-Portrait with Raised Hand and Self-Portrait with Physalis showcase Schiele’s distinctive style, featuring exaggerated forms, intense colours, and dramatic expressions.

His use of angular lines and bold contrasts captures various emotions, from vulnerability to defiance. These self-portraits reveal Schiele’s introspective nature and his willingness to confront and expose his insecurities and inner turmoil, making them powerful reflections of his personal and artistic struggles.

Egon Schiele: The Hermits

I am standing next to a painting by Egon Schiele, entitled The Hermits

The Hermits was yet another Schiele highlight for me. The large painting depicts two isolated, contemplative figures in a stark, sombre landscape.

These figures are, in fact, Schiele himself on the left and Klimt on the right.  

Detail of Egon Schiele's The Hermits

I loved the angular lines and muted colours. The composition emphasises their separation from the surrounding environment, reflecting themes of isolation and introspection.

When I saw this painting, I couldn’t help but think of those memes that show two dapper men going out for one drink at 6 pm. The next photo shows the same guys coming home at 5 am.

Somewhere between these two friends hanging out, I felt an intense feeling of adult men bonding and a profound sense of loneliness and existential reflection. It’s a beautiful painting that spoke to me.

Egon Schiele & Max Oppenheimer Collaboration

Museum Leopold had a temporary exhibit on the artist Max Oppenheimer during our visit.

For us, the highlight of this exhibition was the portraits that Egon Schiele and Max Oppenheimer did of each other.

I wonder if one of them slid it into the other’s DM, asking to collaborate 😝

Other Secession Artists in the Leopold

Winter Landscape by Franz Sedlacek
An art installation of a woman made of wool reclining on a bench in the Leopold Museum
A man looks at art by Gerstl in a Vienna Museum

The powerhouse of Secession art, the Leopold has a staggering amount of art representing this movement, unique to Vienna.

The collection extends beyond Schiele and Klimt, featuring works by artists such as Oskar Kokoschka, Richard Gerstl, Josef Kalvach, and Arnold Schönberg.

Visiting the Leopold provides artistic insight into Austria’s early 20th-century art scene. The museum’s rich collection reflects diverse styles and thematic explorations.

We hope you enjoy the Leopold as much as we did.

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