Stairway to Klimt. Eye to Eye with Klimt, Installation, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna: 13 February-2 September 2018

In 1890, a year before the official opening of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (Art History Museum), Gustav Klimt, his younger brother Ernst and their friend Franz Matsch -collectively known as the Maler Company- were commissioned to decorate the museum entrance hall. They produced a sumptuous pictorial cycle which depicts the important periods of art history. The paintings, displayed at a height of 12 metres above ground, fill the spaces between the columns and arches, where they form an integral part of the décor of the museum’s main staircase.

As was done previously to celebrate the 150th birthday of the painter in 2012, in 2018 the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna will once again construct the colossal, four-tonne ‘Klimt Bridge’ above the staircase to mark the centenary of the painter’s death. The bridge grants us a unique opportunity to to admire the details of the 13 paintings and get up close and personal with one of Klimt’s early masterpieces.

In conjunction with the construction of the bridge, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna is also showcasing Nuda Veritas, of one of Klimt's most revered artworks. The iconic large-scale painting comes from the personal collection of the art critic Hermann Bahr, and for the first time ever is being displayed in the context of ancient Greek and Roman artworks.

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna

Opening hours

June to August: Daily, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m; Thu, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

September to May: Tue – Sun, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m; Thu, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.