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Büste des Marc Aurel

Liechtenstein Garden Palace

permanent presentation

The Collections of the Princes von und zu Liechtenstein hold major works of European art from five centuries and are among the most important private collections in the world. The impressively restored Liechtenstein Garden Palace with the Sala terrena, Hercules Hall and the former Ladies’ Apartments, galleries and extensive gardens provides the perfect setting for these objects while also conveying an impression of aristocratic life.

The permanent exhibition at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace with works of art from the Gothic age and the early Renaissance

The return of these art treasures to the historic ambience of the palace in the Rossau quarter in 2004 and their meticulous presentation are authentic testimony to the history of the House of Liechtenstein and its understanding and appreciation of art. The concept of the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ is transmitted to the visitor in these rooms through the synergy of the Baroque architecture with what has been preserved of the Baroque decoration: here the ceiling paintings by Antonio Bellucci and Marcantonio Franceschini, the frescos of Andrea Pozzo and Johann Michael Rottmayr, the sculptures by Giovanni Giuliani and the stuccowork of Santino Bussi enter into an instructive dialogue with the artworks on display, some of which were already on view here between 1810 and 1938. 

Spanning a period from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century, the exhibited works have a special focus on the Baroque. In keeping with the principles of the historical display designed by the Berlin art historian Wilhelm von Bode at the behest of Prince Johann II von Liechtenstein (1840–1929), paintings, sculptures, tapestries and Kunstkammer objects are presented together, thus creating the refined and yet warm atmosphere of a family collection that set the Liechtenstein gallery apart from all others even in the nineteenth century and later provided a model for other private collections such as the Frick in New York.

The tour begins with the Golden Carriage at the centre of the Sala terrena and the Historical Library in the former Gentlemen’s Apartments. The history of the Library, with its neoclassical furnishings that were transferred from the now demolished residence of the Reigning Prince on Herrengasse is just as interesting as its holdings of books collected over the centuries.

View of the Historical Library designed by Joseph Hardtmuth (1758–1816)

Exhibited on the piano nobile of the palace are masterpieces from the Collections, arranged according to the most important schools and styles of European art history represented here.
The works in the first galleries range from early religious panel painting from Italy and Central Europe to portraits tracing the wide arc of styles from southern to northern Europe. Sculptures, bronzes and furniture also take a central role in this dialogue, allowing the visitor to experience the artistic context of the time at first hand.

Naddo Ceccarelli (active c. 1330–1360), Christ as the Man of Sorrows, c. 1347
Raimund Stillfried von Rathenitz (1839–1911), The Prince of Liechtenstein's Paintings Gallery, The Rubens Room from the east, historical gallery photographs, 1901

The Great Gallery, centre of the piano nobile, is dominated by one of the Collections’ focal groups of works: the "Decius Mus cycle", conceived by Peter Paul Rubens and executed by the artist and his studio assistants. The cycle was originally displayed in exactly the same way when the Garden Palace opened as a gallery to the public for a fee from 1810.

Paintings that are identified with the Princely Collections such as Rubens’s personal portraits of his daughter Clara Serena and his sons Albert and Nicholas, his “Venus in front of the Mirror” or the portraits of Anthony van Dyck, above all the likeness of Maria de Tassis, complete the ensemble of the paintings by Rubens within the permanent presentation.

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Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Venus in Front of the Mirror, c. 1614/15
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Venus vor dem Spiegel
Porträt des Albert (1614–1657) und des Nikolaus (1618–1655) Rubens
Porträt der Clara Serena Rubens, der Tochter des Künstlers (1611–1623)
Porträt der Maria de Tassis (1611–1638)
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Venus in Front of the Mirror

around 1614/15


Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)


to object

Portrait of Albert (1614–1657) and Nicholas Rubens (1618–1655)

1626/27


Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)


to object

Portrait of Clara Serena Rubens, the Artist's Daughter (1611–1623)

around 1616


Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)


to object

Portrait of Maria de Tassis (1611–1638)

around 1629/30


Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)


to object

The bronzes on display in these galleries are of equal artistic significance, in particular two works that mark the beginning of the family’s commissioning and collecting of art at the start of the early seventeenth century: the life-size casts of “Christ in Distress” from 1607 and the later “St Sebastian” by Adrian de Fries with their untouched original patination.

Another focus lies in Italian and Dutch Baroque painting of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, artistic terrains that can be explored in fascinating constellations of masterpieces that change on a regular basis.

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Adrian de Fries (1556–1626), St Sebastian, c. 1613/14
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Der heilige Sebastian
Christus im Elend
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St Sebastian

around 1613/14


Adrian de Fries (1556-1626)


to object

Christ in Distress

1607


Adrian de Fries (1556-1626)


to object

Applied arts objects and furniture play an important role in the overall ensemble. Without doubt the most important piece is the "Badminton Cabinet" located in the last gallery on the tour, the crowning glory of the pietre dure collection whose beginnings also lie in the seventeenth century. Commissioned in 1726 by Henry Somerset, 3rd duke of Beaufort, from the grand-ducal workshops of the Medici in Florence, the cabinet was completed in 1732 and was acquired for the Princely Collections in 2004. Together with other lapidary work on display in the same gallery, it attests to the ongoing acquisitions policy of the Princely House. The still lifes on the walls tie this work in perfectly with its cultural context at the zenith of the Baroque age.

Grand Ducal workshops (Galleria dei Lavori, founded 1588), Baccio Cappelli (doc. 1705 – c. 1751), Girolamo Ticciati (1671–1744), Badminton Cabinet, 1720–1732
Ottavio Miseroni (1567–1624), Giuliano di Piero Pandolfini (doc. 1615–1637), Giovanni Castrucci (d. 1615)?, Cosimo di Giovanni Castrucci (1590–1619)?, Ornate Pietra Dura Chest with Commessi di pietre Dure Bearing the Coat of Arms of Prince Karl I von Liechtenstein, c. 1620/23

Whereas the presentation of the Collections during the nineteenth century was characterized by its dense hanging, the priority today is not the quantity of works exhibited but their quality and visibility. The gallery draws its life from the stories that the works can tell in their interplay with one another, and from the regular changes that take place alongside the underlying continuity of the displays. 

The galleries are subject to continual change, on the one hand through substantial new acquisitions and objects that arrive from the depots following restoration, and on the other through loans to other exhibitions and galleries that make substitution necessary from time to time. Discovering the familiar in new constellations or encountering new, previously unseen works always makes a visit to the palace an interesting and rewarding experience.

The permanent exhibition at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace with works of art from the Baroque

The permanent exhibition at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace can be viewed as part of a guided tour.*

RESERVATIONS FOR PUBLIC AND INDIVIDUAL GUIDED TOURS

* Please note that the exhibition galleries at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace and City Palace, the sale of tickets, and the events and guided tours at both palaces are operated by Liechtenstein Gruppe AG. The contract partner for your tour reservation is Liechtenstein Gruppe AG.

StatueBouquetsa_CF005901.jpg

Liechtenstein City Palace

Permanent Presentation

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Exhibited objects

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Porträt der Clara Serena Rubens, der Tochter des Künstlers (1611–1623)

Portrait of Clara Serena Rubens, the Artist's Daughter (1611–1623)

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1616

Porträt der Clara Serena Rubens, der Tochter des Künstlers (1611–1623)

Portrait of Clara Serena Rubens, the Artist's Daughter (1611–1623)

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1616

Apollo und Cupido

Apollo and Cupid

François Duquesnoy
around 1630/40

Apollo und Cupido

Apollo and Cupid

François Duquesnoy
around 1630/40

Büste eines Jünglings (Alexander der Grosse?)

Bust of a Youth (Alexander the Great?)

Pier Jacopo Alari-Bonacolsi, called Antico
around 1520

Büste eines Jünglings (Alexander der Grosse?)

Bust of a Youth (Alexander the Great?)

Pier Jacopo Alari-Bonacolsi, called Antico
around 1520

Die Auffindung des Erichthoniusknaben

The Discovery of the Infant Erichthonius

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1616

Die Auffindung des Erichthoniusknaben

The Discovery of the Infant Erichthonius

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1616

Christus im Elend

Christ in Distress

Adrian de Fries
1607

Christus im Elend

Christ in Distress

Adrian de Fries
1607

Mars und Rhea Silvia

Mars and Rhea Silvia

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1616/17

Mars und Rhea Silvia

Mars and Rhea Silvia

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1616/17

Venus Medici

Medici Venus

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, nach der Antike
around 1699-1702

Venus Medici

Medici Venus

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, nach der Antike
around 1699-1702

Ganymed

Ganymede

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
1611/12

Ganymed

Ganymede

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
1611/12

Der heilige Sebastian

St Sebastian

Adrian de Fries
around 1613/14

Der heilige Sebastian

St Sebastian

Adrian de Fries
around 1613/14

Amor mit Seifenblase

Cupid with the Soap Bubble

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1634

Amor mit Seifenblase

Cupid with the Soap Bubble

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1634

Die Beweinung Christi

The Lamentation

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1612

Die Beweinung Christi

The Lamentation

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1612

Marsyas oder heiliger Sebastian

Marsyas or St Sebastian

Andrea Mantegna
around 1500

Marsyas oder heiliger Sebastian

Marsyas or St Sebastian

Andrea Mantegna
around 1500

Allegorie Afrikas (aus der Serie „Die vier Erdteile")

Allegory of Africa (from a Series of "The Four Parts of the World")

Jan Boeckhorst

Allegorie Afrikas (aus der Serie „Die vier Erdteile")

Allegory of Africa (from a Series of "The Four Parts of the World")

Jan Boeckhorst

Decius Mus deutet seinen Offizieren den Traum

Decius Mus Relating his Dream

Manufaktur Jan Raes I., Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1630

Decius Mus deutet seinen Offizieren den Traum

Decius Mus Relating his Dream

Manufaktur Jan Raes I., Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1630

Büste des Fürsten Joseph Wenzel I. von Liechtenstein (1696–1772)

Bust of Prince Joseph Wenzel I von Liechtenstein (1696–1772)

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
1773/74

Büste des Fürsten Joseph Wenzel I. von Liechtenstein (1696–1772)

Bust of Prince Joseph Wenzel I von Liechtenstein (1696–1772)

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
1773/74

Der heilige Hieronymus

St Jerome

Anthony van Dyck
around 1615/16

Der heilige Hieronymus

St Jerome

Anthony van Dyck
around 1615/16

Büste der Anima Dannata

Bust of Anima Dannata

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, to Gian Lorenzo Bernini
1705-07

Büste der Anima Dannata

Bust of Anima Dannata

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, to Gian Lorenzo Bernini
1705-07

Allegorie des Lasters

Allegory of Vice

Filippo Parodi
around 1684/94

Allegorie des Lasters

Allegory of Vice

Filippo Parodi
around 1684/94

Raub einer Sabinerin (dreifigurige Raptusgruppe)

Rape of a Sabine Woman (three-figure raptus group)

Antonio Susini, attributed attributed to Giambologna
around 1600 (model 1582)

Raub einer Sabinerin (dreifigurige Raptusgruppe)

Rape of a Sabine Woman (three-figure raptus group)

Antonio Susini, attributed attributed to Giambologna
around 1600 (model 1582)

Bacchus

Bacchus

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, to Michelangelo Buonarroti
1695-1703

Bacchus

Bacchus

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, to Michelangelo Buonarroti
1695-1703

Tischplatte mit dem Wappen von Fürst Karl I. von Liechtenstein

Tabletop with the Coat of Arms of Prince Karl I von Liechtenstein

Cosimo di Giovanni Castrucci, Workshop Giuliano di Piero Pandolfini
around 1620/23

Tischplatte mit dem Wappen von Fürst Karl I. von Liechtenstein

Tabletop with the Coat of Arms of Prince Karl I von Liechtenstein

Cosimo di Giovanni Castrucci, Workshop Giuliano di Piero Pandolfini
around 1620/23

Kabinettschrank

Cabinet on stand

Melchior Baumgartner
Commessi di Pietre dure: 1625, cabinet: c. 1650

Kabinettschrank

Cabinet on stand

Melchior Baumgartner
Commessi di Pietre dure: 1625, cabinet: c. 1650

Venus vor dem Spiegel

Venus in Front of the Mirror

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1614/15

Venus vor dem Spiegel

Venus in Front of the Mirror

Sir Peter Paul Rubens
around 1614/15

Tanzender Faun

Dancing Faun

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, nach der Antike
1695-97

Tanzender Faun

Dancing Faun

Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, nach der Antike
1695-97

Der Tod des Decius Mus in der Schlacht

The Death of Decius Mus

Design Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Workshop Jacques Jordaens
1616/17

Der Tod des Decius Mus in der Schlacht

The Death of Decius Mus

Design Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Workshop Jacques Jordaens
1616/17

LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

Fürstliche Sammlungen Art Service GmbH
Fürstengasse 1
1090 Vienna, Austria

phone: +43 1 319 13 91–0
fax: +43 1 319 13 91–820
[email protected]

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