Vermeer, Bruegel, Titian: The Secret of Genius in the Art History Museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is famous for its remarkable collection of Old Masters. If you would like to do more than just enjoy the paintings by Bruegel, Vermeer, Bellini, and Velazquez, and understand what makes their pieces stand out from the works of less famous contemporaries, this tour is perfect for you. We will examine the difference between an artist of genius and an excellent one, or a good artist and an average one.

The Museum of Art History hosts the biggest collection of Peter Brugel the Elder’s paintings. We will have a close look at The Hunters in the Snow to figure out why this narrative wasn’t very popular when the painting was created and which qualities of this masterpiece earned it the title of a “cold and inapproachable peak of genius” in the 20th century.

Looking at the Peter Paul Rubens’ Het Pelsken, Cimon and Iphigenia, and The Calydonian Boar Hunt we will see the differences between commissioned paintings and those made for pleasure.  We are going to study Anthony van Dyck’s Samson and Delilah to distinguish the peculiarities of his style that allowed him to become as prominent as his famous teacher.

Verisimilitude is the key principle of Western art that has a long history. When looking at Vermeer’s Art of Painting and Caravaggio’s Madonna of the Rosary, we will discuss painting techniques and their most masterful implementations. Parmigianino’s Conversion of St. Paul will showcase the artistic attempt to overcome the trend of copying life.

So if you’re curious to understand what makes the art of the Old Masters unattainable great, this tour of the Art History Museum is perfect for you.