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What the painting shows
Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater by Klimt depicts the interior of Vienna’s former theater viewed directly from the stage. Klimt set his viewpoint low on the right side of the stage, creating a sweeping view across tiers of curved balconies toward the Imperial box on the left. Soft golden hues and pale tones fill the hall beneath an ornate ceiling and a large lit chandelier.
The scene captures the audience returning to their red velvet seats after an intermission. In the Imperial box sit Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and Archduchess Maria Theresia of Braganza. Klimt painted almost 200 miniature portraits across the hall, with 133 recognizable Viennese figures, including composer Johannes Brahms, physician Theodor Billroth, actor Katharina Schratt, and Klimt’s brother Ernst. In the upper tiers, spectators lean over railings or raise opera glasses, while several unaccompanied women in evening veils walk through the aisles. This precision belongs to Klimt’s early works, showing his early academic training and realistic detail.
The story behind it
Built on Michaelerplatz in 1741, the old wooden Burgtheater was scheduled for demolition in 1888 to allow construction of the Hofburg Palace’s St. Michael Wing. A final performance of Goethe’s Iphigenie auf Tauris in October 1888 marked its closure. To preserve a record of the beloved venue, the Vienna City Council commissioned Gustav Klimt and Franz von Matsch with instructions to document the interior with strict accuracy.
Klimt took exact measurements of the building and drafted on-site sketches, reference photographs, and studies using friends and family to save costs. The finished gouache was previewed in late 1889 and displayed to around 60,000 visitors at the Vienna Künstlerhaus in March 1890. It earned Klimt the prestigious Emperor’s Prize of 400 ducats, establishing his reputation as a portraitist across the city.
Where to see it
The painting is in the permanent collection of the Wien Museum in Vienna, which acquired the work in 1907. To plan a visit or explore where other works by the artist hang, see our guide on where to see Klimt.
Questions about Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater
What does Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater by Klimt show?
Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater by Klimt shows the audience inside Vienna's historic theater returning to their seats after an intermission. Viewed from the stage, the scene features nearly 200 miniature portraits of Viennese citizens, including composer Johannes Brahms and Archduke Karl Ludwig in the Imperial box. The composition captures the theater's ornate tiers, balconies, ceiling, and chandelier with precise realistic detail before the wooden hall was demolished in 1888.
Where is Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater by Klimt?
Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater by Klimt is in Vienna, Austria, in the collection of the Wien Museum. The museum acquired the gouache painting in 1907 and preserves it alongside Klimt's preparatory sketchbook and drawings. Painted between 1888 and 1889 as a historical record before the old Burgtheater was demolished, the original work remains on public view in the Austrian capital.
