(Vienna, 14 January 2026) "Gustav Klimt and Medicine. Images of the Flow of Life" shows how strongly scientific discoveries and medical innovation influenced the works of Gustav Klimt, thus opening up new perspectives on the artist as a visionary interpreter of the life cycle from birth to death. The exhibition at the Josephinum in Vienna opens on 26 March 2026.
The exhibition, which will be on display from 26 March 2026 at the Josephinum, the collections of the Medical University of Vienna, "Gustav Klimt and Medicine. Images of the Flow of Life" will open at the Josephinum, the collections of the Medical University of Vienna, on 26 March 2026. For the first time, it will comprehensively explore the diverse relationships between Klimt, science and medical progress in Vienna around 1900. It shows how much the intellectual atmosphere of the time – characterised by groundbreaking scientific discoveries, new medical methods and an open dialogue between disciplines – influenced Gustav Klimt's thinking and work.
At the centre of the exhibition is the faculty painting "Medicine", which was destroyed in 1945 and is probably one of the most controversial, innovative and at the same time visionary works by the Austrian artist. Following a complex, scientifically supported AI reconstruction in 2024, visitors can now see a colour impression of Klimt's monumental composition, which is now displayed in large format on the façade of the Anna Spiegel Research Building on the grounds of the AKH. "Gustav Klimt represents Vienna's intellectual awakening around 1900 like no other artist. The exhibition at the Josephinum shows how closely art, science and medical progress were intertwined during this period and how much this interdisciplinary dialogue influenced Klimt's work. At the same time, it opens up a new perspective on medicine as a cultural and social force," says Markus Müller, Rector of MedUni Vienna.
The historic lecture hall of the Josephinum will display around 25 original Klimt drawings from renowned Austrian institutions and collections, as well as contributions from selected private collectors whose pictures have rarely been accessible to the public until now. Klimt's working processes, his exploration of physicality and his intense preoccupation with the depiction of birth, life and death will be illustrated. The exhibition is complemented by medical history exhibits from the Josephinum's collection. "For the first time, our special exhibition focuses in detail on the profound knowledge of the human body that found its way into Gustav Klimt's work, thus highlighting his close connection with the great physicians in Vienna around 1900," explains Christiane Druml, director of the Josephinum.
The exhibition is curated by Tobias G. Natter, former director of the Leopold Museum and author of the current catalogue raisonné of all Klimt paintings. Natter: "Even when it was first presented in 1901, the painting 'Medicine' sparked an 'aesthetic civil war'. The exhibition also provides an insight into Klimt's numerous allegories of life and, with unprecedented clarity, shows how deeply Klimt engaged with the fundamental themes of the cycle of life and consistently created magnificent images of the flow of life between becoming and passing away."
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated publication with specialist articles on philosophy, art history and medicine, published by Prestel, 240 pages.
Special exhibition "Gustav Klimt and Medicine. Images of the Flow of Life"
Exhibition dates: 26 March – 27 June 2026
Curator: Tobias G. Natter
Location: Josephinum – Medical History Museum Vienna
Währinger Straße 25, 1090 Vienna; www.josephinum.ac.at
Opening hours: Wed-Sat, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thu, 10 a.m.-8 p.m