Famed architect, famed house

A celebration of Italian Renaissance

The Academy of Fine Arts building on Schillerplatz is built by one of Ringstraße’s star architects, Theophil Hansen. Hansen is also responsible for the Parliament Building and Palais Epstein, Highlights 5 and 6 of our Ringstraße walk, among others.

The interior of the four-story building in the Italian Renaissance style is defined by the Neoclassical auditorium, which is two stories high. Six Doric columns, above each of which an allegorical figure is enthroned, flank the 3-part main portal. The four central figures symbolise architecture, sculpture, painting and etching, while the outer figures represent two men from Ancient Greece: Phidias the sculptor on the right and Perikles the statesman on the left.

The 24 statues in the niches between the windows on the front side are sculpted by students of the academy, based on ancient models and produced in terracotta. The frescoes on the window niches on the fourth floor on the rear side are by August Eisenmenger, the famous ceiling painting in the auditorium by Anselm von Feuerbach and Christian Griepenkerl.