Lower Austria is a discovery! For centuries, many artists have appreciated and left their marks on the local natural and cultural landscapes. They painted or drew in nature and immortalized everyday subjects in genre paintings and portraits. They created images of landscapes, devotional and genre paintings, without which we would know far less about life in Lower Austria back in the day.

A JOURNEY ACROSS LOWER AUSTRIA

The collection presentation takes the visitors to six places and regions and spans more than five centuries. Four altar wings crafted by an anonymous artist known as the “master of the Florian Winkler epitaph“, date back to the 15^th century. The most recent works of the exhibition originated in the 20^th century. They are the works of famous personalities such as Tulln-born Egon Schiele and Pöchlarn native Oskar Kokoschka. The common thread of all items of the exhibition is that they are related to regions in Lower Austria or were created there.

The artistic journey across Lower Austria starts in Plankenberg and takes visitors from Pöchlarn on the Danube River via Tulln to Langenzersdorf. The Wachau cultural landscape being awarded the status of a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage is demonstrably due to the art it has inspired. Other stations along the way include Krems, Wiener Neustadt and the scenic Piesting valley.

MASTERPIECES OF AUSTRIAN ART HISTORY

All works belong to the art collection of the State of Lower Austria and were created by world-famous Austrian-born artists including Martin Johann Schmidt, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Tina Blau-Lang and Olga Wisinger-Florian.

Emil Jakob Schindler’s “Pappelallee nach dem Gewitter“ (Boulevard of poplars after the storm) from 1892 is one of the masterpieces of the Austrian Stimmungsimpressionismus impressionist movement. A highlight of Biedermeier realism is Friedrich Gauermann‘s 1831 painting “Hirsch, von einem Luchs verfolgt“ (Stag, pursued by a lynx). The show also features a major expressionist work, Anton Hanak‘s “Letzter Mensch“ (The last human) from 1917. An outstanding example of the many painted excursions into the Wachau World Heritage region is the eight-metre long “Panorama des Donautals mit der Ruine Dürnstein“ (Panoramic view of the Danube Valley with Dürnstein castle) by Anton Hlavacek (1906). One of the most precious pieces of art on display is “Zerfallende Mühle“ (Decaying Mill) by Egon Schiele from 1916.