Great art for everyone
The Albertina in Vienna, which nowadays houses one of the world’s most significant graphic art collections, was founded 250 years ago.
The Albertina’s art collection can be traced back to Archduchess Marie Christine, one of Maria Theresa’s daughters, and her husband Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. Both were extremely interested in art, and the generous dowry that Marie Christine brought to the marriage enabled the couple to systematically collect works of graphic art and drawings with the intention of providing an overview of developments in art entirely in keeping with the Age of Enlightenment. The Albertina was founded on 4th July 1776, subsequently being housed in the state rooms of the Palais Erzherzog Albrecht in the Augustinerbastei section of the city’s fortifications. A view of the palace created by Jakob Alt in 1816 is featured on the stamp, along with a stylised red “Dürer hare”, probably the best-known work in the Albertina’s collection. After the fall of the monarchy, the Albertina was taken over by the state. Nowadays it also includes the Albertina Modern on Karlsplatz and the Albertina Klosterneuburg.
The holdings have been continuously added to with contemporary works since the museum’s inception, and in 1920, it also acquired the copper engravings from the former imperial court library. As well as works of graphic art, the Albertina is also home to paintings, sculptures, photographs and architectural drawings. The permanent exhibition Monet bis Picasso presents works of classic Modernism from the Batliner Collection ranging from French Impressionism to Expressionism. This collection is on permanent loan to the museum.
