Originating from the Upper Rhine region, the House of Habsburg, founded in the 10th or 11th century, ruled not only Austria and a vast area of central Europe, but also Spain, parts of France and Italy, and the New World territories. At the height of its rule, the Habsburg dynasty were not only collecting artworks but also supported artists and craftsmen like Velasquez, Albrecht Dürer, Titian and more.
The Habsburg family distinguished themselves early from the other ruling houses of Europe as they understood the value of promoting one’s success. Mythological canvases and court portraits of the family were created to glorify the Habsburg family. For example, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I commissioned the Nuremberg artist Albrecht Dürer to create the monumental woodcut print ‘Triumpal Arch’ (1525), which focuses on Maximilian’s ancestry, political allegiances, his personal triumphs and endeavors.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Japan’s friendship with Austria, the National Museum of Western Art presents selected works of art from Habsburgs’ impressive imperial collection, on loan from the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. For a well-rounded experience, the exhibition also includes masterpieces of Roman antiquity, medieval armor, early modern painting and craftwork.