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 Albertina with Archduke Albrecht Monument | |
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| Established | 1805[citation needed] |
|---|---|
| Location | Albertinaplatz 1,Vienna,Austria |
| Coordinates | 48°12′15″N16°22′07″E / 48.20417°N 16.36861°E /48.20417; 16.36861 |
| Type | Art museum |
| Visitors | 360,073 (2020) |
| Founder | DukeAlbert Casimir |
| Director | Ralph Gleis |
| Public transit access | U1, U2, U4 (Karlsplatz) |
| Nearest parking | Operngarage |
| Website | www |
TheAlbertina is amuseum in theInnere Stadt (First District) ofVienna,Austria. It houses one of the largest and most importantprint rooms in the world with approximately 65,000drawings and approximately 1 millionold master prints, as well as more modern graphic works, photographs and architectural drawings. Apart from the graphics collection the museum has acquired, on permanent loan two significant collections ofImpressionist and early 20th-century art, some of which are on permanent display. The museum also houses temporary exhibitions. The museum had 360,073 visitors in 2020, down 64 percent from 2019 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, but still ranked 55th in theList of most-visited art museums in the world.[1]
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The Albertina was erected on one of the last remaining sections of thefortifications of Vienna, the AugustinianBastion. Originally, the Hofbauamt (Court Construction Office), which had been built in the second half of the 17th century, stood in that location. In 1744 it was refurbished by the director of the Hofbauamt,Emanuel Teles Count Silva-Tarouca, to become hispalace; it was therefore also known asPalais Taroucca. The building was later taken over byAlbert Casimir, Duke of Teschen, who used it as his residence. Albert later brought his graphics collection there fromBrussels, where he had acted as thegovernor of the Habsburg Netherlands. He had the building extended byLouis Montoyer. Since then, the palace has immediately bordered theHofburg. The collection was expanded by Albert's successors. When his grandsonArchduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen lived there until his death in 1895 it was called thePalais Erzherzog Albrecht.
The collection was created by Duke Albert with the Genoese countGiacomo Durazzo, the Austrian ambassador in Venice. In 1776 the count presented nearly 1,000 pieces of art to the duke and his wifeMaria Christina (Maria Theresa's daughter). Count Durazzo, who was the brother ofMarcello Durazzo, theDoge of Genoa – "wanted to create a collection for posterity that served higher purposes than all others: education and the power of morality should distinguish his collection...." In the 1820sArchduke Charles, Duke Albert and Maria Christina's foster son, initiated further modifications to the building byJoseph Kornhäusel, which affected mostly its interior decoration. After Archduke Charles, his sonArchduke Albert then Albrecht's nephew the popularArchduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen lived in the building.
In early 1919, the newsocialist government ofAustria confiscated, without compensation, both the building and the collection belonging to the Archduke Friedrich and evicted him. In 1920 the collection of prints and drawings was united with the collection of the former Imperial court library. In 1921 the building was renamed The Albertina.
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In March 1945, the Albertina was heavily damaged by USAAFbomb attacks. The building was rebuilt in the years after the war and was completely refurbished and modernized from 1998 to 2003. Modifications of the exterior entrance sequence, including a distinctive roof byHans Hollein were completed in 2008, when the graphics collection finally reopened. In 2018, the Albertina acquired the Essl Collection of 1,323 contemporary artworks, including pieces byAlex Katz,Cindy Sherman,Georg Baselitz,Hermann Nitsch, andMaria Lassnig.[2]
On 27 May 2020, "Albertina modern" opened as a new museum for modern art. The collection of Albertina modern encompasses over 60,000 works by 5,000 artists.[3] TheAlbertina Klosterneuburg opened in April 2024 and displays post-1945 works.[4]
Media related toAlbertina, Vienna at Wikimedia Commons48°12′15″N16°22′07″E / 48.20417°N 16.36861°E /48.20417; 16.36861
