Stairway to Klimt

To mark the centenary of the death of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) we invite museum visitors to take a closer look at his unique paintings displayed twelve meters above ground where they form an integral part of the sumptuous décor of the Main Staircase. As in 2012, we will again erect a huge bridge weighing four tons across the Main Staircase to allow visitors to access this magnificent pictorial cycle. The paintings, commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph and executed by Gustav Klimt, his brother Ernst and their friend, Franz Matsch, depict important periods of art history.