Private Tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum: Secrets of Masterpieces | Tickets included
Description
The title of masterpiece gives a work of art a special status and if you are going to visit a museum for the first time, you want to see famous works by renowned masters. The Museum of the History of Art in Vienna has many paintings, gems and statues that count to the world famous masterpieces. They include paintings by Rembrandt, Cranach, Vermeer, Raphael and Caravaggio, sculptures by Canova, Gianbologna as well as works by ancient Greek and Roman artists. And you don't need experts to enjoy their works. This tour of the museum is for those who value both an aesthetic pleasure as well as an intellectual one. We will go through all the collections of one of the best art museums in the world and look at masterpieces from different perspectives to understand why this particular work, and not the neighbouring one, has made on the shortlist of must-see objects. To do this, we'll follow the museum's list of most valuable exhibits and I'll not only tell you their official histories and characteristics, I'll also explain how artists have used our cognition and clever self-promotion. We will also discuss the fickleness of worldly fame and the role of the spirit and the taste of the times. Among the major masterpieces we will break down in detail are Benvenuto Cellini's "Saliera", Raphael's "Madonna in the Meadow", Peter Brueghel's "The Tower of Babel" and "Hunters in the Snow", Caravaggio's "Madonna with Beads", Vermeer's "Allegory of Painting" as well as The Reserve Head from the Egyptian collection and Sarcophagus with Amazons from the Greek collection. On a tour with me you can not only enjoy the art, but also learn to navigate a little more in the intricacies of such a subtle matter as "genius".
Tour Options
Itinerary
‘The temple of art’ is the expression that describes the Art History Museum in Vienna the best. Even its architecture designed in the best traditions of historicism combines the details of temples from the three key Western cultures. This is the place where you will find all gods and heroes of the West European art Olympus, such as Arcimboldo, Brueghel, Velasquez, Holbein, Dürer, Giorgione, Cranach, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian (listed in alphabetical order). As any Western museum proclaiming itself universal, Kunsthistorisches Museum also features collections of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, as well as a numismatic cabinet. Moreover, a quarter of the exhibition space of the museum is occupied by the Cabinets of curiosities, a mixed exposition of indoor sculpture, church plate, decorative elements, and scientific instruments; all in all, everything considered unique and of special value. The museum’s curators have drawn up an informative list for visitors; including 700 masterpieces for local art lovers, 100 for recurring visitors, and 35 “must-see” pieces for newbies. With this art tour we follow the curators’ short list and take a very close look at globally celebrated masterpieces, from varying perspectives to understand what makes each art piece so very special.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
- Please come punctually to the meeting point in front of the museum main entrance. There are three doors and the central one is closed. Your guide will be waiting for you in front of it.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Reviews(28)
The museum was beautiful. Our guide was so knowledgeable. She highlighted the important art pieces to see explaining why and pointing out so many things which we would never have seen or understood. It was an absolutely fabulous tour. Highly recommend.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Susan! It was an absolute pleasure guiding you through the Kunsthistorisches Museum. I’m truly happy that you enjoyed the "Secrets of Masterpieces" tour and that I could help you discover these wonderful stories. Sharing my art passion with such appreciative guests is the best part of my job! Thank you for the high recommendation, and I hope to see you in Vienna again!
I toured the museum with Julia. Thank you for the knowledge. It was more than I expected. I fully learned so many details about the paintings and the artifacts in the museum's great displays. And many back stories of the pieces. I'm still thrilled with the time spent learning from Julia. I really came away with a sense of the preciousness of the museum's items.
David - thank you so much for your kind words! I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that it left you with a lasting appreciation of the museum's treasures. Each piece that we viewed and discussed is a true masterpiece, and I am very happy that I was able to share my admiration for them with you.
We learned so much and feel like we saw the highlights of the museum and so much more. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for art and history with us.
Dear Mary Lynn, Thank you so much for your lovely review! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that you were able to see both the Kunsthistorisches Museum's highlights and hidden gems. It’s always a pleasure to share my passion for art and history with such interested and inquisitive guests. I really appreciate your kind words, and I hope to welcome you back to Vienna one day for another artistic adventure! Warm regards, Julia P.S. Thank you for sharing the story about the sword! It's hilarious, and I'm definitely going to use it on future tours.
It was really a treat to be guided by a true art expert around this very diverse and excellent art museum. We loved every minute of our time with Julia and learned so much about so many aspects of art and artists through the ages. We particularly enjoyed the automaton exhibit and Julia's deep dive into Bruegel's work. This is certainly the best way to see the Kunsthistorisches Museum because there is much to see and take in. Julia covers so much in a relatively short period of time without feeling rushed and leaving you feeling you saw every important artist's work and every important aspect of the museum collection. We only wish we had more days to spend with her on some of her other tours.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Gibby! It was a pleasure to guide you through the Kunsthistorisches Museum and share some of my favourite stories about the treasures housed there. I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and felt immersed in the art without feeling rushed – achieving that balance is my goal. Your curiosity and enthusiasm made our time together so enjoyable, and I would love to welcome you back for another exploration whenever you return to Vienna. There's always more to discover! Warm regards, Julia
Julia was amazing - very knowledgeable and excellent at communicating. We learned so much, and we were riveted to her every word. Thank you, Julia!
Dear Carleen, Thank you so much for your lovely review! I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and found it engaging -- your enthusiasm made it all the more enjoyable for me as well. I truly appreciate your kind words! Warm regards, Julia
Julia is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about art and we learned so much about this Hapsburg collection. A great experience.
Dear Cathy, Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a real pleasure guiding you through the Kunsthistorisches Museum and sharing the fascinating stories behind the Habsburg collection. I'm so glad you enjoyed the tour and took away some new insights about the masterpieces. Wishing you many more inspiring art adventures ahead!
When we booked this tour, we thought it would be a nice way to see the highlights of a large art museum on a private tour. It so exceeded our expectations! Julia is possibly the best guide we have ever had on any or our many tours. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, humor, and engaging personality drew us in immediately. We learned the historical context of why art was made, how it was used, and how it evolved, all while learning about the history and techniques used for the museum's masterpieces throughout various periods of time. The hours flew by, and Julia engaged us the entire time. It was an interesting, thought-provoking, entertaining day that left us energized from such a wonderful experience! When we return to Vienna, we would book Julia for other tours. We HIGHLY recommend booking Julia for this tour!
Dear Tim, Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words – reading your review truly made my day! It was such a pleasure guiding you through the Kunsthistorisches Museum and sharing the stories, history, and secrets behind the masterpieces with you. I’m so happy to hear that you found the tour both engaging and inspiring. I always aim to make art history come alive in a fun and meaningful way, and it means a lot to know that it resonated with you. I would absolutely love to welcome you back to Vienna someday and explore even more of the city’s rich history and culture together. Until then, thank you once again for your lovely review – and for being such wonderful and curious guests!
Julia was an excellent tour guide helping us to focus on the highlights vegetating list in the enormous collection. She was so knowledgeable and so interesting to listen to. We loved her and the tour!
Dear Tracy, Thank you very much for your kind words. It was a great inspiration to explore the KHM secrets together with you both. Enjoy your further travel through European art cities!
The tour guide Julia (or Julie) had complete command of the knowledge of art history, the painters/sculptors' biographies, the socio-economic backdrop of the 16th-19th centuries. She could also add humors and anecdotes to make her story-telling fun to listen. She is the perfect guide for this tour.
Dear Friedrich, thank you for your kind words. I'm very flattered. But I'm even more grateful to you for changing the way I look at Gothic boxwood miniatures, as looking at the Prayer Nut together has made me look at the whole genre with much more appreciation. Thank you!
We were shown the most significant & interesting art objects & paintings. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and interesting. Highly recommend this tour.
Dear Charles, it was a great pleasure to have this lively discussion with you about the masterpieces and their true place in the world of art and in the cultural landscape of the city of Vienna. Thank you very much for your kind words of appreciation!
