Poets and distinguished intellectuals mingled in busy cafés, young pioneers heralded a new era of social and sexual liberalism, waltzes echoed through the Ringstrasse, and the Vienna Secession declared: "To every age its art - to every art its freedom;" The tremors foreshadowed the impending political dissolution as the Austrian capital entered a new century.

Vienna blossomed as a "laboratory of modernity," fostering some of the greatest artistic innovators - from the unyielding nude portraits of Egon Schiele to Gustav Klimt's luxurious Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, from Otto Wagner's decorative stitches and glass floors to Ditha Moser's calendars adorned with golden deities.

Discover the spirit of the times, the scandals, and the exceptional protagonists in this introduction to a transformative era. Through painting, sculpture, architecture, and design, we explore all the driving forces through insightful profiles and clear double-page reproductions. This collection celebrates the 100th anniversary of the deaths of some of the brightest talents, participating in the 2018 celebration of Modernism in Vienna.