Albertina Vienna

Leonardo – Dürer: Fold your hands, hold your breath

Leonardo's Apostle (detail), a preliminary study for his famous "Last Supper" in Milan.

(Bild: © ALBERTINA, Wien)

The Albertina is recalling its strengths and celebrating a high mass of Renaissance drawings on a colored background at the major spring exhibition entitled "Leonardo - Dürer" until 9 June.

Of course, rattling is also part of the museum business. But the new Albertina director Ralph Gleis can be reassured. His major inaugural exhibition, which was produced with specialists Achim Gnann and Christof Metzger in just under one and a half years, was a magnificent success.

Superlatives are probably part of the Albertina, like Dürer's "Praying Hands". The largest, the most, the most expensive or: "The most comprehensive presentation of Leonardo in a German-speaking museum to date" for the "world's first detailed museum show in this field". The field in question is that of "Renaissance master drawings on a colored ground".

Albrecht Dürer's "Praying Hands", a preliminary study for the burnt Heller Altarpiece, is currently on display at the Albertina.

(Bild: © ALBERTINA, Wien)

For those who still need numbers - here you go: 26 Leonardo drawings and 26 Dürer drawings will inspire you, embedded in masterpieces of the time.

The development of the "chiaroscuro" drawing is presented, whereby chiaroscuro not only means "chiaroscuro" in the literal sense, but also refers to colors. Around 1300, paper in Italy was still too coarse to draw on with metal pens. They had to be smoother. This was achieved with a primer made of bone meal and glue, which soon became colored. For example, violet, yellow, red, on which drawings were made with pencils, ink and chalk.

Male nude by Leonardo da Vinci from the unique collection of King Charles III.

(Bild: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust)

The exhibition shows the development of this from the 15th century onwards. The central figure from the south is Leonardo, while the German figure Dürer represents the party north of the Alps. In Italy, especially in Venice in 1505/6, he "inhaled" the studies and preliminary drawings on colored paper inspired by Bellini and Carpaccio and took them with him to the north.

Grünewald, Holbein the Younger and Altdorfer also produced true masterpieces there. The 150 or so works on paper do not require any paintings. Instead, there are comparative illustrations, for example of the Heller Altarpiece, for which Dürer drew his "Praying Hands".

Dürer's head of the angel playing the lute.

(Bild: Albertina Wien)

For Ralph Gleis, "the exhibition refers to the great tradition of the museum, it goes to the heart of the collection and at the same time shows how internationally networked we are". So you can marvel at one cimelia after another, either from the museum's own collection or as magnificent loans.

In the case of the Leonardos, King Charles III lent generously, but the Louvre, the Uffizi and Berlin were also generous. You can experience an important piece of art history, presented in an exciting way, or simply revel in all the splendor.