April Theme Day: One Colour

This photo is from the archive. I took it during an instawalk at the Lower Belvedere in October 2016. The light in this staircase changed every few minutes from one colour to another.

Click here to view the thumbnuals of all participants in the theme day.

Beautiful Sphinx

I'll never get tired of photographing the sphinxes in the garden between the Upper and the Lower Belvedere.

Inspiration Photography

During the instawalk at the Lower Belvedere last week we also got a short guided tour through the exhibition "Inspiration Photography. From Markart to Klimt". The show gives a vivid impression of the way artists used the new medium (photography was invented in 1839) in their work.

Is That Biedermeier?

Last week I took part in an instawalk at the Lower Belvedere. We had the possibility to visit the exhibition "Is that Biedermeier?" before it was opened to the public. The show presents paintings and furniture of the Biedermeier period.

Lower Belvedere - Ceiling Fresco

The ceiling fresco in the Marble Hall of the Lower Belvedere was created by Baroque painter Martino Altomonte and depicts Apollo in a sun chariot. Prince Eugene of Savoy is represented as a nude hero as Mercury announces gifts from the pope honouring the prince’s achievements at the battle of Peterwardein in 1716.

Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was constructed from 1712 until 1716 for Prince Eugene of Savoy and designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, one of the most important Austrian baroque architects. The Lower Belvedere served as a residential palace whereas the Upper Belvedere served for representative purposes in particular. Besides this, the Lower Belvedere also held parts of the princes’ collections. Today it houses special exhibtions of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

Umbrella/Parasol

Visiting a museum can be exhausting, especially for children. These two were recovering last Sunday on a bench in front of the Lower Belvedere - under an umbrella with Klimt's "The Kiss" that they used as parasol.

Trapped in The Present

On Saturday evening the city was beautifully covered with snow. During the night the temperature increased and the snow turned into slush... Maybe you are now wondering why this snowman still looks so perfect. Well, because he's made of marble and a sculpture by Austrian artist Manfred Erjautz. The website of the Belvedere, in front of which he is located, says that he "symbolizes not only a particular season but also memories and the complexities of transience. The snowman is deprived of its ephemeral existence through the creative process, ultimately leading to it becoming trapped in the present."

Sphinx at Night

 One of the sphinxes located in the gardens between the Upper and the Lower Belvedere

Lower & Upper Belvedere

After a very cloudy week, on Monday finally there were some timid rays of sunlight. As I had the day off, I could take advantage of the weather and took another walk in the garden between the two Belvederes. From the Chamber Garden I enjoyed this look of the Lower and the Upper Belvedere.

Sunday Afternoon View

Here's a view of my Sunday afternoon walk: the old building at the end of the garden is the Lower Belvedere, on the left side you can see St. Stephen's Cathedral and in the background Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg.

Bacchus

This sculpture of Bacchus, the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine in Greek mythology, is located in a passage of the Lower Belvedere.

Enjoying The March Sun

This past weekend we enjoyed a foretaste of spring: the sky was blue, the sun was shining and it was unusually warm. The parks were crowded, everybody took advantage of the weather. This guy draped himself on the stairs of the Lower Belvedere to enjoy the March sun.

Heracles & Calliope

One of the statues in the gardens between the Upper and the Lower Belvedere represents Heracles and Calliope. All statues have been created by Giovanni Stanetti.

Beautiful View

That's what you see if you stand in front of the Upper Belvedere, with the palace in your back: straight ahead is the Lower Belvedere, the spire on the left side is the one of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was constructed from 1712 until 1716 for Prince Eugene of Savoy and designed by Austrian architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. The edifice served as a residential palace and also held parts of the princes’ art collections. Today it houses special exhibtions of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. If you want to see the interior please click here and here.

Lower Belvedere - The Marble Gallery

The trophies of war stuccoed onto the walls of the Marble Gallery refer to the military successes of Prince Eugen of Savoy, whose apotheosis is presented in the stucco relief on the ceiling: He is enthroned well armed in centerfield and receives awards, whereas hatred and envy are dispelled from peace.

Lower Belvedere - The Gold Cabinet

Originally this was a conversation room with wall covering made of silk painted with trees branches and birds. Under Empress Maria Theresia the room was transformed into a gold cabinet (or mirror and porcelain cabinet). It is assumed that the gold cabinet presented itself with its new appearance in 1765.

Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was constructed from 1712 until 1716 for Prince Eugene of Savoy and designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, one of the most important Austrian baroque architects. The Lower Belvedere served as a residential palace whereas the Upper Belvedere served for representative purposes in particular. Besides this, the Lower Belvedere also held parts of the princes’ collections. Today it houses special exhibtions of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

Museum Shop

In the museum shop at the Lower Belvedere you can buy catalogues, books, postcards and many other beautiful things things related to the current exhibtions but also enjoy the beautiful hall itself.