DRESDEN.-It could be described as a kind of Habsburg-Wettin “summit meeting” when on 6th December the famous and important Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna presents some of its most outstanding works of art in Dresden’s legendary Grünes Gewölbe.

The Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, which is currently closed for refurbishment, will be displaying – in collaboration with the Grünes Gewölbe – a selection of treasures from the collection of Emperor Rudolf II, who reigned from 1576 until 1612. As a lover and connoisseur of the arts, Emperor Rudolf created a Kunstkammer (literally, ‘art chamber’) at Hradčany Castle in Prague that was renowned as the largest and most splendid of the era. It formed the basis of the Habsburg collections and its treasures are among the most pre-eminent works of art produced in Europe in the period around 1600.

In the spring of 1575, when he was 23 years old and already King of Hungary, Rudolf visited Dresden with his father, Emperor Maximilian II (1564-1576). Although at that time Prague was only a few days’ journey away from Dresden, he never returned to the Saxon capital after succeeding his father as Emperor Rudolf II. Figuratively speaking, this exhibition marks his magnificent ceremonial entry into the city.

For a few months beginning on 6th December 2007 it will be possible to admire an exclusive selection of fifteen precious items from Rudolf’s treasury in the Sponsel Room of the Neues Grünes Gewölbe.

These exemplary items will testify to the Emperor’s passion for collecting and demonstrate how the rulers of a bygone age sought to enhance their power and prestige through their art collections. With the exception of two objects, all the works of art on show in Dresden were created by artists working at the Prague court. The bronze bust of Rudolf II made by Adriaen de Vries in 1603 depicts the Habsburg ruler in all his majestic glory and supremacy. On the cameo cut out of an onyx, the Emperor is depicted, like his Roman predecessors, wearing a laurel wreath on his head. Brightly coloured pietra dura works, one showing a view of Prague Castle, were created by Giovanni Castrucci, and two vessels originate from the Prague stone-cutting workshop of Ottavio Miseroni. The imperial sculptor Nikolaus Pfaff is represented in the exhibition by ivory statuettes and a grandiose lidded goblet made of rhinoceros horn. The skilful craft of ivory turning is represented by an item produced by Hans Wecker and a “stacking box” by Giovanni Ambrogio Maggiore. The Emperor’s table bell which was cast using seven metals and which depicts the gods of the planets are also on display.

The Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden and the Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna are associated in many ways. These two collections, both of which originated in the Renaissance period, hold unique treasures and therefore constitute part of Europe’s cultural heritage. The joint exhibition also indicates future developments: in a few years’ time, once the extensive restoration and building work has been completed, the Vienna Kunstkammer, which is currently closed, will – like the Grünes Gewölbe – once again attract visitors from all over the world to its newly designed exhibition.

The exhibition in Dresden also marks the beginning of a collaborative project between the two museums in which they will devote attention to research on the history of Renaissance art and treasure chambers and to the implementation of further joint exhibition projects.