New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-08
vIENNA'S NEW MUSEUM
SPLENDID STRUCTURE WITH coyrkyrso,
INESTIMABLE VALUE

| Of the finest art museum IN the world M, I'm
the visitor to the great institution on n. n W"
! Strasse, which was opened last week. be ...'-.F
inclined to dispute the claim. In external 49,,
lecture the building Is masterpiece 7,
designed by Baron IIasenauer, the archItect :, y.
/! Burg Theatre and Of the Emperors new ,s,.~
| with the assistance Of Herr Gottfried Semuer -
general style is that Of the Italian Renai,...'N
Rows of columns and pillars OF imposing NJ
| tions encompass the building on all fou, ~,
| Between them and over the windows ia . -
| of statuary and other carving. giving TO me -
nile of stone an air OF life and grace Ova. -
rises a splendid dome, which here for the An, y.
| in this part Of the world crowns buildins =.
devoted to ecclesiastical purposes. In Euron. a.
dome is distinctively feature OF church .,,s
lecture, and of church architecture alone. w..
Baron Hasenauer proposed to use it on thi. nus
and on the Natural History Museum, az IN, .,,-
side of the square many regarded IL as saer,.,.
| and not few Of the uncO guid' are probably ~,
looking for an avenging thunderbolt to fall N.
the impious structure
| Within, however, the Imperial Museum Of A..
is still more splendid than without. Sir ~,
sufiiced to finish it, all but the interior decorss.
and these consumed ten years more. Perhau 4.
most striking feature Is the abundant use Of .o,
Gold leaf is spread about most lavishly and H.,
are marbles Of every hue. Floors and ceilinu "a
walls and arches are dazzling with chromatie in.
The capitals and pedessals OF the columns an =
gilt bronze, the floors are prismatic mOsaics, "A
the ceilings are a sky Of paintings. Much Of IN
| wall and ceiling painting was done by IA,
Makart. whose style was well suited 10 surh ..
| tended decorative works. The ceiling Of the va
entrance-hall is covered with one enormous pab.
ing. the work of Michael Munkacsy. II rpn
sents the apotheosis of art and is particular,
bright and joyous in tone, contrasting strof,
with the other works of that painter. This h,,
picture was painted on single sheet Of csurs
woven expressly for the purpose. So large vas
that special building had TO be CONSTRUCTED N
a studio to hold it, IL is said that every parr
and sculptor of note in Vienna for the past pr
years has been employed on the adornmei d
these stately halls and galleries.
The chief interest. however Of course eears
| in the contents of the museum. Some idea 4
their value may be formed from the fact la
they comprise all the art treasures collected y
the Imperial House of Austria during the last t,
centuries and the House Of Austria has colfca
with generous hand. Hitherto all these pctaH
and statues have been stored away in yarSs
palaces and castles. often in inaccessible plscs
or where they could not be seen tn adyannr
Now they are all put together In this one moo
umental ediice. The Austrian Court has IN,
said to possess the finest collection OF art worn
in the world. Now, for the first time. the pubs
can See how we'll founded the boast is. May
important works, especially old masters. are uss
to be seen for the first time by modern eyn
For generations the world has been ignorant u
their existence. hidden away as they were in DAT
and unvisited rooms Of various palaces. Nov tn
are displayed in the eighty enormous rooms Of IL
second largest museum in the world Anai
them are more than $50 of the MASTERPIECES "
Raphael, Titan. velnsquez, Durer. Ruben. III
toretto and Paul Veronese There are NOR H.
the works OF Titan, Tintoretto and veronex BEN
than in any other gallery in Germany. Hen N
to be seen Raphael's loveliest Madonna DswtI
famous Trinity and All Saints, and the kpA
altar-piece and best portraits Of Rubens
The ceiling of the great entrance ball b sur
ported by eight colossal shafts of red granite Tho
stairway leading to the next floor is eighteen fest
wide and is built Of the purest Carrara marble
On the first landing is the celebrated group Of
statuary by Canova, "Theseus Staying the Cen
taur." This was executed at the order Of tbe city
of Milan, and was to be given TO Napoleon Bona
parte Before it was finished, however, Waterlos
was fought. The Emperor Francis / then pu''
chased it and brought it to Vienna, where f0f
many years IL stood in a Grecian temple In ne
Volksgarten. In bringing IL to the Museum TIE
clumsy workmen contrived TO damage 1t some
what, but the injuries have been repaired VIII /"
much skill that they are not 10 be noticed. II,
| group is Of colossal size, but IL looks at nHt
distance to be of only ordinary dimensions 50 va
Is the chamber of which it is the central ornaneri
In special gallery are the 'watercolors which IL
Imperial family has gathered together the last hu;
bred years. Many Of these were executed for pfo
ents on gala occasions, and have hitherto HA
kept in cabinets or portfolios They are now xa
by the public for the first time, and are recognss
as forming one of the very finest collections 10
world.
The ground floor is devoted to a display q
Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities: WORKS
plastic art of the Renaissance coins, gems, arHS
and weapons The old marbles and bronzes are D.
numerous, but are of great artistic and anoauI
rian value There is one beautifully presr~
bronze statue of an "Adorer," considered VI
largest antique bronze statue which exists, snn
number Of Characteristic Roman Emperors hess
as also quite a collection Of statuettes Like hos
Of Tanagra. The collection received yAuaa'
contribution some years ago, when an expeolu'
to Gjol Baschi, on the South Coast OF Asa an'4
brought home most interesting reliefs ron
LylSian grave sanctuary, which illustrate the ~
and taking of Troy.
Other treasures of the museum are those rs
epd by Macmillan l. Charles V and Rudoi
There ore the wonderful embroidered church g@
mcnts covered with pearls and precious s'oes
which Duke Charles of Burgundy ordered s''
the Order Of the Golden Fleece was inst ih's
tuted and which were brought BY his daushns
Vienna with her dowry. A wealth OF enAne..
jewelry is shown in hundred glass cases, rass
pieces of an art which has been lost. IheN ~
works Of art Of crystal, topaz, anethy' ~
emerald: SPLENDID pieces for the table, su'H -.
Rudolf II liked to put before his gues1' anu
saltcellar Of Benvenuto Cellini is perhaps of "r
best work Of that unrivslled master In -
haustible variety the glass cases display u.s.s