The MAK – Museum of Applied Arts (German: Museum für angewandte Kunst) is an arts and crafts museum located at Stubenring 5 in Vienna’s 1st district, Innere Stadt. Besides its traditional orientation towards arts and crafts and design, the museum especially focuses on architecture and contemporary art. The museum has been at its current location since 1871.
Founded in 1863 by Rudolf von Eitelberger, Vienna’s first professor of art history, the MAK was modeled after the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria & Albert Museum) in London, which had been established just eleven years prior. Initially housed in the Ballhaus on Ballhausplatz, the museum found its permanent home on Vienna’s prestigious Ringstraße in 1871. The grand structure, designed by Heinrich von Ferstel in the Italian Early Renaissance style, was the first museum to grace the Ringstraße, setting a precedent for future institutions. Today, visitors to the MAK’s Columned Main Hall stand within a space that reflects both historical grandeur and an ongoing commitment to artistic discourse.
The MAK collection is guided by a singular purpose: to inspire critical thought on essential design principles. It encompasses Austrian and international works spanning centuries, fostering a dialogue between tradition and innovation. The collection serves as a repository of artistic experimentation, material exploration, and social relevance, demonstrating how design and art interact with everyday life.
The MAK showcases Vienna 1900 Design and Arts and Crafts from 1890 to 1938, an extensive collection of carpets, and a significant selection of Asian art from China, Japan, and Korea. European artistic movements are well represented, spanning from the Renaissance through Baroque and Rococo to Classicism. Additionally, Empire Style and Biedermeier works highlight key shifts in aesthetic trends, while Historicism and Art Nouveau reflect the evolving artistic landscape. Among its diverse holdings, the MAK houses a collection of Delftware, featuring blue-and-white jugs and vases from the seventeenth century, as well as polychrome ewers and plates from the eighteenth century.
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