What is beauty, and how have our ideas of attractiveness evolved over the centuries?
The Art of Beauty at Schloss Ambras Innsbruck explores the culture of Beauty from Antiquity to the eighteenth century and presents traditional formulas, the elaborate production processes and the specialized utensils that offer fascinating insights into the world of beauty. What has changed, what remains the same today?
© KHM-Museumsverband
The Renaissance castle Ambras houses the historic bath of Philippine Welser, one of the few sixteenth-century baths that has survived. Her love affair and secret marriage to Archduke Ferdinand II, which was not in keeping with her rank, her reputation as a helpful woman who knew how to heal and her legendary cookbook make Philippine Welser (1527-1580) one of the most outstanding women in Tyrolean history.
A BEAUTIFUL SOUL OR IS BEAUTY JUST SKIN DEEP?
Not only women but men, too, go out of their way to live up to each period’s ideal of beauty. The different sexes favour different trends to enhance their appearance and present themselves in a favourable light, be it by applying make-up, sporting elaborate coiffures or spritzing themselves with perfume. Social change affected not only notions of beauty but also the production and application of various tinctures, concoctions and solutions.
A FORMULA FOR BEAUTY
The exhibition explores changing ideals of beauty as well as various cosmetic trends and how they evolved over the centuries. The roots of modern-day cosmetics can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Effective production processes and novel ingredients had a lasting effect on beauty products and treatments. Cosmetics were not only meant to beautify their wearer but also helped to hide ailments and disease. The Pharmacopeia of Philippine Welser, compiled around 1560, is another seminal object in the collections housed at Ambras Castle Innsbruck.
© KHM-Museumsverband
With the help of important cultural and art-historical exhibits, The Art of Beauty recounts fascinating stories of pulchritude and attractiveness. Using social media stations, also topics such as ‘body positivity’ vs ‘body shaming’ are addressed. The exhibition brings together selected international loans and numerous works from Ambras and the other collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum to offer fascinating insights into 5,000 years of beauty.
Special exhibition The Art of Beauty
18 June to 05 October 2025
Daily 10 am to 5 pm
The Art of Beauty
Ambras Castle Innsbruck
Schlossstraße 20
6020 Innsbruck
Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed in november
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