Residenzgalerie Salzburg

The Residenzgalerie is an art gallery located in Salzburg, Austria’s Alte Residenz. Rembrandt, Carel Fabritius, Carlo Saraceni, and Hieronymus Francken II are among the artists represented in the collection.

The state-owned Residenzgalerie exhibits paintings from the 16th to the 19th century. It is akin to Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo’s enormous painting collection, which was shown during his era (late 18th century) in chambers that are now the Residenzgalerie. However, after 1800, this collection was regularly stolen throughout the French Wars. Many of the artwork were moved from Salzburg to Vienna under the monarchy.

A group of Salzburg artists suggested a new collection immediately after the First World War, and the Residenzgalerie opened in 1923. Aside from reestablishing a permanent collection for Salzburg, the new gallery was also meant to be utilized by an art academy (which was never established), to promote tourism, and to provide a cultural destination to complement the Salzburg Festival.

The Czernin Collection is the Residenzgalerie’s focal point. This was originally shown at the gallery in 1954, first on loan before being purchased outright between 1980 and 1991. Its paintings by 17th-century painters are mostly Dutch, although there are also Italian, Spanish, and French works. The collection was assembled between 1800 and 1845 by Count Johann Rudolf Czernin von und zu Chudenitz, who studied law in Salzburg and was connected to Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo. A number of pieces from the collection of Friedrich Karl, Count Schönborn-Buchheim (1674-1746), notably by Dutch and Italian 17th-century painters, which the gallery received on permanent loan in 1956, are also noteworthy.

The Residenzgalerie is a member of “Private Art Collections,” a network of European collections that exchange artworks and collaborate on joint exhibits and other activities. The Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna, the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan are also members.

Salzburg, Austria