The Museum at St. Pölten Cathedral
Where sacred art and contemporary communication of faith meet
The exhibition "Sacred Art Nouveau" at the Museum am Dom St. Pölten focuses on ecclesiastical art from the period around 1900 in Austria. Numerous objects collected from parish churches, monasteries and private collections emphasise the importance that Art Nouveau also played in the sacred sphere - despite the predominant rejection of the ecclesiastical authorities.
Not least the proximity to Vienna, where the artists' association "Secession" was founded in 1897, led to the creation of religious objects in the new art style, particularly in eastern Austria. The city of St. Pölten, home to several Secession members, is still closely associated with Art Nouveau today.


Exhibition on ecclesiastical Art Nouveau at the Museum am Dom St. Pölten
The exhibition "Sacred Art Nouveau" was the 2023 annual exhibition at the Museum am Dom St. Pölten. More than 100 years after the first Austrian exhibition on ecclesiastical Art Nouveau in Vienna, the museum focussed on the tension between a traditional view of art and an open-minded zeitgeist. The exhibition sets out in search of clues as to why numerous sacred art objects were created in the Art Nouveau style despite adverse conditions.
The spectrum ranges from altars, chalices and monstrances to liturgical vestments. Objects that have never been presented before suggest that open-minded clergymen and patrons nevertheless allowed "time its art, art its freedom" - in keeping with the Secession's motto.
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the Museum am Dom in St. Pölten on this digital tour and prepare yourself optimally for an upcoming visit to enjoy an even more intense and enriching experience on site.