From empire to modernity
Austrian art in the long 19th century
- Monday, 7 September 2026
- Monday, 14 September 2026
- Monday, 21 September 2026
- Monday, 28 September 2026
Enrol
| Standard: | £60 |
| Concessions: | £57 |
Please book a ticket to access the event. You will receive an E-ticket with instructions on how to access your online events, films and resources via your National Gallery account.
Please note, only one ticket can be booked per account.
Suitable for participants aged 18 or over.
Concessions are for full-time students, jobseekers, and disabled adults.
About
From the lyrical landscapes of Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller to the radical visions of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, explore a century of extraordinary artistic transformation in Austria. Join cultural historian Gavin Plumley as he traces the development of Austrian art from the Enlightenment to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
Ruled from Vienna, the Habsburg Empire encompassed vast territories across Central and Eastern Europe and fostered one of Europe's most vibrant cultural centres. While Vienna is often celebrated for its music, it was also home to generations of artists who responded to a rapidly changing world. As the 19th century progressed, shifting political realities, social change and new ideas challenged traditional artistic conventions, culminating in the emergence of some of the most innovative art of the modern era.
Across four weeks, we will explore the work of artists including Moritz von Schwind, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Hans Makart, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Richard Gerstl, placing their art within the broader cultural and political history of the Habsburg world.
How did Vienna become one of Europe's great cultural capitals? Beginning in the late 18th century, we explore the Habsburg court, the growth of the imperial city, and the flourishing artistic culture that attracted figures such as Canaletto, Bellotto and Mozart. Through art, architecture and patronage, we examine how creativity thrived in Vienna from the Enlightenment through to the Revolutions of 1848.
In the early 19th century, Austrian artists turned to the natural world for inspiration. From the majestic Alpine landscapes of Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller to the romantic imagination of Moritz von Schwind and the intimate observations of Peter Fendi, we explore how artists sought to define an Austrian artistic identity through landscape, folklore and everyday life.
Following the upheavals of 1848, Vienna was dramatically transformed under Emperor Franz Joseph I. Grand capital expenditure projects such as the Ringstrasse, a grand avenue encircling the centre of Vienna, reshaped the city and fostered a new artistic culture. We examine the influence of Hans Makart and the emergence of Gustav Klimt, before exploring how Klimt and his contemporaries broke away from academic traditions to found the Vienna Secession, one of the defining movements of European modernism.
The final decades of the Habsburg Empire produced some of the most daring artists of the age. Inspired by Klimt but determined to forge their own paths, two artists at Vienna’s Academy of Fine Art, Richard Gerstl and Egon Schiele challenged artistic conventions through intensely personal and expressive works. In this final session, we look at the rapid rise of these two talents. We will also consider the growing opportunities available to women artists including those at Women’s Academy in Vienna, and explore how the city's artistic culture helped shape the emergence of modern art at the start of the 20th century.
Your tutor
Gavin Plumley is a cultural historian specialising in the art and music of Central Europe. He has lectured widely on the final years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and appeared in 'Klimt and The Kiss', screened in cinemas worldwide. A regular contributor to BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, his first book, ' Home for All Seasons', was published in 2022. His second book, 'The Gay Apocalypse: Sex and Scandal in Vienna 1900', will be published in 2027.
Watch again
Can't make Monday afternoons but don't want to miss out? No problem, you can watch again. Each session is recorded and made available to you for the duration of the course, up until 2 weeks after the final session.
A video of the week's lecture will be uploaded and available for you to watch via your National Gallery account on Wednesday afternoons.
Format
Each session lasts for 2 hours and includes a lecture delivered by the course lecturer followed by a short break and further discussion.
Time will be allowed for questions and discussion via Q&A. Handouts will be available via your National Gallery account on Monday mornings. Optional homework is provided to help you prepare for the following week's session.
Booking information
This is an online ticketed course hosted on Zoom. Please book a ticket to access the course. Only one ticket can be booked per account.
You will be emailed an E-ticket with instructions on how to access the course via your National Gallery account. All course information including your Zoom link, weekly handouts, and recordings will be available here.
Your link will be valid for the duration of the course.
Booking after the course has started
You are welcome to join the course at any point during its 4-week run. You will gain access to all the recordings until two weeks after the final session.