Franz Werner Tamm, Still Life with Hare, Flowers, and Fruit, c. 1720/1724
Photo: Johannes Stoll / Belvedere, Vienna
Until September 19, 2026, the Belvedere is presenting the exhibition Blooming Hearts Through Centuries. From Waldmüller to Klimt. Floral Masterpieces from the Belvedere, Vienna in Beijing. The exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the development of Austrian flower painting from the Biedermeier period to Viennese Modernism. Bringing together sixty works by thirty-five artists from the Belvedere’s collection, the exhibition makes outstanding works of Austrian art history accessible to a Chinese audience and international guests.
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Still Life with Fruit, Flowers, and a Silver Cup, 1839
Photo: Johannes Stoll / Belvedere, Vienna
Flowers are a universal theme of art, one that connects people and cultures. We are deeply honored to present this exhibition in China—especially on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Austria and China. With this exhibition, we invite audiences in Beijing to discover the beauty and richness of the Belvedere’s art, says Stella Rollig, General Director of the Belvedere.
Exhibition opening of "Blooming Hearts Through Centuries", Beijing World Art Museum
© Beijing World Art Museum
The exhibition was officially opened in Beijing on June 12 by H.E. Ambassador Wolf Dietrich Heim, senior representatives of the Chinese cultural administration, the leadership of the World Art Museum, and Belvedere General Director Stella Rollig. Even befo re it started, the show had attracted a great deal of media attention.
Josef Lauer, Small Floral Scene (Alpine Flowers), c. 1860
Photo: Johannes Stoll / Belvedere, Vienna
Curated by Franz Smola (Belvedere) and Chao Zhang (MuseRoam Art Limited), the exhibition spans a breadth of works ranging from eighteenth-century botanical illustrations to the intimate floral paintings of the Biedermeier period and the artistic innovations of Viennese Modernism. Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller’s Still Life with Fruit, Flowers, and a Silver Cup, Gustav Klimt’s After the Rain, and Egon Schiele’s Sunflowers I are among the highlights of the presentation.
Olga Wisinger-Florian, Flowering Poppies, c. 1896/1900
Photo: Johannes Stoll / Belvedere, Vienna