Curator’s Choice: 150 Years Vienna World Exhibition 1873
Medals have been sought after as a medium of recognition since antiquity.
On the occasion of the first World's Fair in Vienna, nearly 53,000 exhibitors from 35 nations around the world presented their latest developments in all fields of technology, industry, mobility, arts and crafts. An international jury awarded prize medals to the best exhibitors in five different categories: for “art”, “progress”, “merit”, “good taste” and for “cooperation”. A total of more than 25,000 examples were minted at the main mint in Vienna.
On the obverse of all five medals we find the portrait of Emperor Francis Joseph I facing right. The legend names the most important sovereign titles. On the reverse, five different iconographic representations refer to the respective purpose: the medal for art shows in the centre a female figure with a mural crown, the personification of “Austria”. Her attributes are the Austrian double eagle and the imperial crown on the back of the throne, in front of which she holds a laurel wreath with raised right hand. To the right and left of her, we find two allegorical figures each, seated and standing, representing the arts: on the left, sculpture with a mallet, and behind it, architecture with a floor plan and a rip rail; on the right, painting with a brush and palette, and a winged genius wearing a laurel wreath. The medal for art was aimed at sculptors and painters.
In addition to the official pieces, there were also numerous commemorative medals showing the most prominent buildings: the Rotunda and the Imperial Pavilion. These rather small-sized pieces were highly desired souvenirs and could be purchased on the spot.
The various medals from the 1873 Vienna World's Fair are now being presented for the first time in a showcase in the Coin Cabinet as part of the exhibition series Curator's Choice.
On view until December 31, 2024.
