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We're back from ...
artwork copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
Vienna, Vienna!! ~ August, 2011
Moleskine sketchbook, collage, pen & ink and reg. colored pencils
Vienna - what a beautiful city! We didn't have a great deal of time to do everything I wanted to, but what we did do was absolutely wonderful. I also didn't have enough time to draw all I wanted to, so I did a little more collaging than what I'd normally do in my trip journals...but it was fun to do. :o)
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Liechtenstein Palace Museum and St. Stephanskirche
We visited the newest edition to Vienna's many museums, the Liechtenstein Palace Museum - which opened its doors to the public in 2004. Inside, we saw an extremely grand collection of paintings from four centuries, including many Dutch & Flemmish Old Masters' paintings (Rubens, Rembrandt, Pieter Breughel the Younger, van Dyck, Frans Hals, van Honthorst, Huysman, etc.). Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures of the collection ... alas.
photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
Liechtenstein Palace Museum - rear view & formal gardens
Vienna, Austria ~ August, 2011
This was/is the summer, "city", palace for the Princely Family of Liechtenstein (members of the Hapsburg family of royals) - the palace was built during the period of 1692 to 1705.
We had a delicious lunch on the tearrace of the Rubens' Café, which is in a palace building on the front courtyard. I drew a potted lemmon tree, (grown in the palace orangerie), that was near our table... it was in bloom and in fruit!
drawings copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
Left: A Lemmon Tree in the Liechtenstein Palace Courtyard
Right: Inside St. Stephanskirche (St. Steven Cathedral)
Vienna, Austria ~ August, 2011
Moleskine sketchbook, with pen & ink and reg. colored pencils
We also visited the main cathedral of Vienna - the enormous St. Stephanskirche.
photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
St. Stephanskirche ~ Vienna, Austria
August, 2011
It's a rather dark cathedral inside, but that's just my opinion - though the outside is amazing with all its decoration, especially the ceramic glazed roof tiles. I was waiting for my husband and mother-in-law to do the paid tour of the main altar area,
because I didn't feel like doing it, so I drew the view towards one of the
many chandeliers and the stained glass window beyond it while they were touring (right side in moleskine spread above).
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A concert in an Orangerie!
Schönbrunn Palace ~ Vienna, Austria
At Schönbrunn Palace (summer palace of the former Austrian Royal family
(also Hapsburgs)), we enjoyed a concert in the palace's Orangerie and dinner at a Café Residenz Schönbrunn. This was a special treat, we had pre-arranged, for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday.
artwork copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
Schonbrunn Palace Concert and a Wiener Melange (coffee)
Vienna, Austria ~ August, 2011
Moleskine sketchbook, collage, pen&ink and reg. colored pencils
Needless to say, she was surprised, delighted, and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We did too. :o) We listened to a small, but very talented/professional, orchestra play pieces from Mozart and Strauss. The performance also included two accomplished opera singers (a baritone and a soprano) and two sprightly ballet dancers (male & female).
photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
Orangerie at Night - Schönbrunn Palace
Vienna, Austria ~ August, 2011
You couldn't take pics during the concert - which I understand, but alas! We had front row seats (the very front row), so I wasn't about to be drawing when I should be listening. Besides, it was bad enough when I became the unwilling 'victim' of a moment of "audience participation" - ACK! Yes, that's right, I was picked-on by one of the ballet performers ...omg. I politely refused his repeated requests for a dance - as I was supposed to do, since it was a piece from Mozart's The Magic Flute and he (the dancer) already had a dancing partner. I can tell you, I turned a thousand shades of red ... much the same color as the carpet on the steps of the stage and the concert seats ... Royal Red! :o))
photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.
Concert Stage in the Orangerie
Schönbrunn Palace ~ Vienna, Austria
August, 2011
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So as not to make this an insanely long post, I'll post Part 2 tomorrow (or more likely Saturday because I'm not feeling so wonderful at the moment). My trip posts can get out-of-hand, quickly! I also returned from Vienna with a lovely head cold. It was a lot warmer in Vienna than it is currently in Holland ... maybe I caught something in the switching temps ... or maybe it was that ballet dancer!?! ;o)
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