Overview

The Vienna Museum of Art History's collection is the best place to see and to understand what distinguishes a brilliant artist from the wonderful and the good from the mediocre. If you want not only to walk through the museum and enjoy the works of Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Raphael and Caravaggio, but also aspire to understand what distinguishes their works from those of their less famous contemporaries, this tour is for you. In Peter Bruegel's largest world collection, we'll take a closer look at The Hunters in the Snow to understand why it was in the 20th century that this painting became the “cold distant peak of unattainable art“, and why it was a huge risk to choose such a controversial subject in the 16th century. We will look at the requirements for Rubens' work and see the difference between works made for his powerful commissioners and those created for his own pleasure. The Capture of Samson by his disciple Antonis van Dyck will make it clear to us which qualities of his work have allowed him to occupy a separate place in the history of art, at least equal to his teachers.  Vermeer's work The Allegory of The Art and Caravaggio's Madonna with the Beads will show us the most virtuoso showcase of mimesis, the main principle of Western aesthetics. And Parmigianino's works in the contrary will show us the first attempts of art to escape from the path of perfect vitality. If you wish to see outstanding art and aspire to understand what makes it great, this art tour is perfect for you.