Kräftner, J: Liechtenstein City Palace

The palace was the first major Baroque structure of this kind in Vienna to take inspiration from the monumentality of its Italian models. From the very outset, it was designed with the idea of accommodating the Princely Collection. The prince set great store by engaging only the very best Italian artists. When it was completed in 1705, the palace must have been a true temple of the muses. It also provided Austrian artists with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the international world of the Baroque. Almost all of the works by Rubens contained within the Princely Collection were already hanging on the palace walls at the time.
From 2004 onwards, Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein launched a revitalisation project which culminated in a grand reopening in the spring of 2014. The return of the famous Biedermeier Collection of the Princely House of Liechtenstein means that visitors can also now view the same pictures that adorned the wall of the palace following its previous reopening in the mid-19th century. As they proceed from the facade via the High Baroque staircase to the Ceremonial Rooms, the overall work of art that astounded those who travelled to Vienna 150 years ago once again comes alive.