KaHaEm not KaDeWe (Kunsthistorisches Museum)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Kunsthistorisches Museum
Date:	20/08/01 (61 review reads)
Rating:

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My requirements for Saturday afternoon’s excursion were quite simple. I wanted somewhere within walking distances from my flat since it was a beautiful day, and I wanted somewhere that was air conditioned, or at least nice and cool since as well as being a beautiful day, it was scorching.

It was with this in mind that I ended up at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna’s 1st district (aka KHM - KaHaEm – say KayAichEm and people will laugh....). I’d been here before a few times, but this was the first time I really enjoyed it, and the first time I understood quite a bit (thanks to our General Studies Art History lessons).

The Works
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There is a lot to see here including, until 16th September 2001, an El Greco exhibition. Having seen way to many posters for this around the underground stations, I boycotted it and concentrated on the rest. There are sculptures and, applies art pieces (although a lot – including all the roman and Greek antiquities – are closed off at the moment) but the best area by far had to be the picture gallery. Here you’ll find:

 Two whole rooms dedicated to Rubens including „the Fur“ and „Il defonso Altapiece“

 Some Van Dyck’s which a French tour group were raving about

 A number of Rembrandts including his large and small self portraits from the 17th century

 4 of Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s pieces – fire, water, winter and, my favourite, summer

 several of the German Dürer’s works, although I couldn’t actually find these

 4 of Diego Velanzquez’s masterpieces. Velanzquez was court painter to Phillip the 4th and the pieces on show here are portraits of the king’s daughter aged 3, 5 and 8, and one of her rather frail little brother.

 Getting away from people, there was a collection of
Brueghel’s paintings – all of variations of combinations of flowers in ornate vases.

The Atmosphere
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Nice, although over run with Japanese tourists who don’t seem to believe in queuing. There were lots of comfy seats all over so you could sit and absorb the paintings. The only thing I didn’t like were the frames – some of them were hideous and detracted from the beauty of the paintings. And only one, out of several hundred was round – wonder why.

Shop
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Everything remotely related to art is on sale here – from jigsaws and umbrellas to head scarves and ties – and everything is adorned with the masterpieces they display. Question – they were charging 7.50 GBP for a handfull of pencils – how do they get away with it? But they did have a special offer on their postcards – but 20 and you can have 5 free. Sorry, but spending 10 GBP on postcards is not for me – I made do with my 4 at a total cost of 2 quid. Not quite the wonder that is Berlin’s KaDeWe, but not far off.....

Getting there & Admissions
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Lovely and central, walkable from Mariahilfe and Kärnterstrassen and adjacent to the Hofburg palace and Museums Quatier, it is accessible from underground lines U2 and U3 (stops Museumsquatier or Volkstheatre) and from busses 2A and 57 A.

Prices range from 80 Ös (roughly 4 GBP) for students to 120 Ös for adults. Guided tours cost 30 Ös and run in German and English. The museum is open 10 am to 6pm every day except Monday (when it’s shut) and Thursday (when it stays open till 10pm).

Well worth a visit.

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