Authentically Gothic: Understanding Medieval Art

Medieval art is intriguing and mesmerising. What is this? Notice an unsavoury devil passes a busy-looking lady, and why does he have bird feet instead of hooves? Who are these festive-looking maidens with musical instruments, and what do they want from a golden-haired lad?

Unravelling plots and examining details are indeed exciting and all-encompassing activities. However, during this art tour we won’t just examine the paintings depicting the lives of saints, but also try to understand the nuances of the medieval world viewed through them.

You will learn the role art played in people’s spiritual and daily life, which narratives were in demand, and how the stories captured in paintings reached us in the form of folklore and popular fiction.

The Belvedere’s medieval art collection is one of the most remarkable in the world. There are two halls devoted to it in the Upper Belvedere, while the main collection is situated in the Imperial Stables of Prince Eugene in the Lower Belvedere, where our tour takes place.

Moreover, while the Vienna Museum is under construction, the exposition is supplemented with the original sculptures of the crowned heads that used to decorate St. Stephen’s Cathedral (their places on the facade of the main church of Vienna are currently taken by their replicas), and we will have a rare opportunity to appreciate the self-presentation methods of secular rulers against the backdrop of the imagery from their time.