In the final 70 years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Vienna experienced a wave of revolutions in its society, its cityscape, architecture and art. Change was driven forward by new generations of architects and artists, but sternly resisted by the Viennese Establishment. In architecture, the creation of the Ringstrasse boulevard produced new institutional buildings such as the Parliament, Royal Palace and City Hall in historical Classical and Gothic styles. This produced a back-lash by young, progressive architects who at the turn-of-the-century created Modernist structures in styles that would later be developed by the Bauhaus in Germany. In 1897 the Vienna art world was in turmoil as the more progressive artists “seceded” from the official art institutions. Led by Gustav Klimt, the “Vienna Secession” developed their own take on Art Nouveau, as well as freeing the likes of Oscar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele to pursue their more challenging subject matter and styles.
Course aim
To provide an insight into the revolutionary developments in art and architecture achieved in Vienna from 1890 until the Great War. How Gustav Klimt and the "Vienna Secession" introduced Art Nouveau and how young architects initiated Modernism.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Describe Vienna's role in the European development of Art Nouveau
- Cite 2 examples of the many surviving buildings in Vienna created by Otto Wagner
- Identify the two institutions in Vienna famous for their murals painted by Gustav Klimt.
What else do I need to know?
No pre-work or subject knowledge is required for the course.
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