STATE COLLECTIONS OF LOWER AUSTRIA

The State Collections of Lower Austria gather and research material evidence from the fields of art, culture, and nature for current and future generations. They preserve what makes Lower Austria what it is. The State Collections house over six million objects. They are grouped into twelve major collection areas.

The State Collections are a genuine treasure trove! The State Gallery of Lower Austria was established in order to display the full potential of the collection to public audiences. For the first time in its over 100-year history, the art collection now has a museum dedicated solely to art.

The art collection of Lower Austria is internationally renowned. Since its inception 120 years ago, it has grown steadily. Today it comprises over 100,000 works, mainly of Austrian provenance, ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. All genres are represented—from drawings and prints, photography, paintings, sculpture, textile art, decorative arts to media art and installation.

The “Art before 1960” section of the collection contains important works from the Middle Ages and the Baroque period. Two great names from the Baroque period are closely associated with Krems: Martin Johann Schmidt (1718–1801), also known as “Kremser Schmidt,” and Michael Wutky (1739–1822). Schmidt is best known for his sacred paintings found in churches along the Danube. Wutky enjoyed great success with his landscape paintings.

The state has collected over sixty paintings from the Biedermeier period by Friedrich Gauermann (1807–1862), one of the best animal painters of his time. Also represented are Johann Peter Krafft (1780–1856), Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, and Franz Steinfeld the Younger (1787–1868).

The Wachau is a thematic focus of the art collection. In the late eighteenth century, artists began creating works celebrating the picturesque qualities of this area, fostering awareness of today’s UNESCO World Heritage region. These include Eduard Peithner von Lichtenfels (1833–1913), Maximilian Suppantschitsch (1865–1953), Thomas Ender (1793–1875), Tina Blau-Lang (1845–1916), and Anton Faistauer (1887–1930). A highlight is the eight-meter-long Panorama des Donautals mit der Ruine Dürnstein by Anton Hlavacek (1842–1926

Plankenberg in the district of Tulln was the center of Austrian “Atmospheric Impressionism” in the nineteenth century. Emil Jakob Schindler (1843–1892) was an important figure here. He is represented in the art collection with around twenty paintings. His Pappelallee nach dem Gewitter is one of his most famous compositions. Theodor von Hörmann (1840–1895) and Olga Wisinger-Florian (1844–1926) were other members of the Plankenberg Circle.

Collection activities in recent decades have led to significant growth in the area of contemporary art. The "Art after 1960" section is also the largest featuring over 72,000 works. Works from various periods are acquired to promote artists born or living in Lower Austria. They document the work of important artists and shed light on the development of their respective oeuvres as well as on characteristic art trends of the time, from national and international perspectives.

Significant additions to the collections are made through bequests and donations such as those of Adolf Frohner (1934–2007) or Erwin Wurm (born 1954). A highlight in the field of photography is the donation of Elfriede Mejchar (1924–2020). Her life’s work encompasses a broad spectrum of interests and includes not only artworks created in the studio but also photographs of cultural and historical significance.

The collections are also organized according to thematic, stylistic, or media-specific focuses. All styles are represented in the “Art after 1960” collection—from abstract art, to second generation Austrian Expressionism with its main representative Herbert Boeckl (1894–1966), Fantastic Realism with Rudolf Hausner (1914–1995), Viennese actionism with Hermann Nitsch (1938-2022), to the Neue Wilde with Gunter Damisch (1958–2016).

Complementing this are the works of Helga Philipp (1939–2002), pioneer of Op Art in Austria, or Hildegard Joos (1909–2005), the grande dame of Austrian geometric-abstract painting. Isolde Maria Joham (1932–2022) occupies a unique position in Austrian painting with her hyperrealistic canvasses.

The art collection includes the “material paintings” of Daniel Spoerri (born 1930), light art by Brigitte Kowanz (1957–2022), and a monumental assemblage by Padhi Frieberger (1931–2016). Johanna Kandl (born 1954) addresses socio-political issues with her diverse works. The artist group Gelitin (since 1993) unites installation, performance, and found object art. The most recent works include those by Franziska Maderthaner (born 1962), who interweaves abstract-gestural and photorealistic painting styles.

Comprehensive individual collections of works are of particular importance, such as the Leo Navratil Collection featuring around 3,000 works by artists from Gugging. The private collection of artist Christa Hauer-Fruhmann (1925–2013) includes works she amassed for her Galerie in Griechenbeisl. In 2024, art collector Helmut Zambo donated the core of his collection on Arnulf Rainer (born 1929) to the state of Lower Austria.