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Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel Nature's Time

on view until 29 June 2025

In spring 2025, the Kunsthistorisches Museum presents an extraordinary exhibition featuring master-pieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Jacopo and Leandro Bassano, as well as other outstanding artists of the 16th century. The exhibition focuses on the interplay between humanity, nature, and time – an enduring theme that remains as relevant today as it was in the past. 

Insights into the exhibition

Tickets Webjournal

With contributions from collections such as:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Royal Collection Trust, London
Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Città del Vaticano

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin
Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florenz

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, München
Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest

General Information

All information about the exhibition

Address

Kunsthistorisches Museum – special exhibition
Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
Google Maps

Opening times

Daily, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thu until 9 pm

further visit information

Tickets

Adult € 25
Reduced admission € 22
Kids / Teens under 19 free

Tickets

A timeslot reservation is required to visit the special exhibition:

 

Flex Ticket   € 37
Fixed Time Slot Ticket € 25 / € 22
Timeslot Reservation   € 4

 

On average, visitors spend about 1 hour in the special exhibition.

About the exhibition

With over 140 carefully selected works – including loans from international museums and Viennese collections – the exhibition offers a unique insight into the artistic and scientific culture of the Renaissance. It combines art historical perspectives with a deeper exploration of the original function and significance of the works – an exciting journey of discovery into the art and worldview of the era.

How did people in the Renaissance navigate a changing world?
How did they experience the passage of the seasons, the rhythm of nature, and the order of time?
How did people in the Renaissance navigate a changing world?
How did they experience the passage of the seasons, the rhythm of nature, and the order of time?

Exploring the World

Since the dawn of time, humans have sought to understand and find their place in the universe. Philosophy and science have served as essential tools and foundations for the artistic exploration of the connection between humanity and nature.

The influence of the cosmos manifests in our world through weather phenomena and natural cycles, which allow daily life to be structured into recurring patterns. Time itself provides structure to life: days, months, and years create measurable order and rhythm.

Depictions of months and seasons

This engagement is reflected in Renaissance art through fascinating depictions of months and seasons – featuring works that illustrate seasonal labor, festivities, and customs. With the great voyages of discovery during the Renaissance, navigation also gained increasing importance. New instruments enabled a more precise exploration of the Earth and its representation in maps, such as Albrecht Dürer’s meticulously detailed star charts or Gerhard Mercator’s groundbreaking globes. Yet it was not only art and science that were captivated by these achievements. Finely crafted measuring instruments became highly sought-after collectibles in the Kunstkammern of princes and rulers. 

So-called Viennese Planetary Clock

So-called Viennese Planetary Clock , Jobst Bürgi, ca. 1605
Hercules with Globe

Hercules with Globe, 1st half 17th c.

A New Perspective on Natur

The exploration of the world during the Renaissance placed the imitation of nature at the center of artistic creation. Leonardo da Vinci embodied this approach more than anyone – his paintings and drawings reflect an understanding of the universe as a state of constant change. Albrecht Dürer, too, captured nature with striking precision in watercolor and tempera. His masterful fine painting became a model for generations of artists.

Period of transformation

The 16th century was a period of transformation: new discoveries and inventions radically altered the worldview. Scholars revisited ancient texts to challenge and redefine the foundations of natural sciences. Groundbreaking works in anatomy, astronomy, botany, and zoology emerged during this time, and thanks to the printing press, they became accessible to a wider audience for the first time.

The figure of the artist played a central role in this process: not only through the written word but above all through imagery, they illustrated and conveyed the observed reality – making it visible and comprehensible to a broad public. 

Old masters

In the ‘Old Masters’ series, we portray key Renaissance and Baroque artists whose works characterise the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Art historians shed light on the life and work of painters such as Arcimboldo, Bruegel and the Bassano family - in-depth, vivid and with surprising insights.

All articles

Exhibition programme

Calendar

Guided tours | German

Tue, 3 p.m., Wed, 11 a.m.,
Thu, 3 & 6 p.m., Fr, 11 a.m.
Sat + Sun, 11 am & 4 p.m.

Tickets Calendar

Guided tours | English

Every Sunday at 3 p.m.

Tickets Calendar

Visite guidée en français

Sat, 5 April, 3 p.m. 
Sat, 26 April, 3 p.m.

Tickets Calendar

Our web journal for the exhibition introduces you to the artists Arcimboldo, Bassano and Bruegel. Take a close look at their works. Young visitors can get closer to the famous works of art with fun games.

Explore

The perfect companion for your visit!
Purchase the digital audio guide and activate it in the KHM Stories app

  1. Download the KHM Stories app
  2. Purchase the digital audio guide
  3. Activate it in the KHM Stories app

KHM Stories App

Get the audio guide

 

Young visitors aged 6 to 10 will find special wall texts in the exhibition, as well as a free children's booklet available in German and English.

Guided by Donkey Emilio and his friends, children can explore the exhibition on their own. They will discover what people 500 years ago knew about our planet and how it changed throughout the year. At the same time, they are encouraged to compare past and present. Challenging puzzles and small activities spark the imagination and invite them to take a closer look.

Current guided tours & events

The special exhibition in our floor plan

The special exhibition Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel is located on the first floor.

IX 14 VIII 1 I II 2 > >
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In spring 2025, the Kunsthistorisches Museum presents an extraordinary exhibition featuring master-pieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Jacopo and Leandro Bassano, as well as other outstanding artists of the 16th century. 

The exhibition catalog & exhibition products

Arcimboldo - Bassano - Bruegel
Arcimboldo - Bassano - Bruegel
€ 49,00
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Arcimboldo - Four Seasons in one Head
Arcimboldo - Four Seasons in one Head
€ 12,50
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Arcimboldo - Fire
Arcimboldo - Fire
€ 16,95
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Sicilian Lemon
Sicilian Lemon
€ 7,95
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Arcimboldo -Summer
Arcimboldo -Summer
€ 14,95
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Bruegel - Return of the Herd (Autumn)
Bruegel - Return of the Herd (Autumn)
€ 4,95
go to shop

Further exhibitions

Our exhibitions take you back to the rich history of our museum. Here, proven masterpieces meet newly explored themes - a look at art, culture and the past that continuously illuminates the collection.