ASTEN. The faces of the “Four Seasons” are world famous: Giuseppe Arcimboldo arranged the still lifes with, among other things, flowers, fruits and vegetables. The works of art can be admired at the Louvre in Paris and some of Arcimboldo’s works are also exhibited in Vienna. The style of the Italian painter inspired the famous artist René Marcel Rivière to create his works “Tête de pain” and “Tête Douce”.

Anyone who looks closely at Arcimboldo’s artwork will notice one thing: you won’t find any bread or pastries there. Since Tuesday September 26, the panel has been decorated with two new works of art. In the style of the old master Arcimboldo, the two faces are represented from different elements, but how could it be otherwise: buns, croissants, Striezels and pretzels together form the “Bread Head”, while the “Bread Head” Sweet head” with foam rolls, gingerbread and cookies are a delight. Visitors to the panel can see for themselves how this composition and reinterpretation works. The 80 x 100 cm framed oil paintings were commissioned by Peter Augendopler and will also be on display to visitors during the “Long Night of the Museums”.

“I personally met René Marcel Rivière some time ago and noticed that he could paint in the style of the “Old Masters” and that he still mastered this particular technique today. During my visits to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, I often looked at works by Dürer and Arcimboldo. That’s when I came up with the idea of ​​having the head painted with baked goods. Baked goods are the most essential foods in the world and they should be presented accordingly. The aim is to make Paneum visitors aware of the value of these special foods,” said Peter Augendopler, thanking the artist.

Renowned artist

René Marcel Rivière was born in Vienna in 1950. From his childhood, he found fulfillment in music and painting. Since his studies at the University of Applied Arts, he has worked as an independent artist in Switzerland and abroad and is represented in numerous international collections. The graphic beginnings of his work are clearly influenced by the Vienna School; his turn towards oil painting after 1969 led to a fragmentation of forms. He is intensely inspired by his predecessors of “fantastic realism”, but seeks and finds his own way: a combination of the two principles, in which neither the physical is lost nor the abstraction is suppressed. Formally, this is about painting between the second and third dimensions, between surface and space.

Long Night of Museums

On October 7, Austria invites you to the “Long Night of Museums”. The sign is also there. In the darkness, visitors can experience the Chamber of Bread Wonders in a whole new light.

An exciting and varied program awaits visitors from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.: guided tours take place every hour and shed light on the different facets of the Paneum. There will be a children’s tour called “Mission Pain” at 6 p.m. and a classic tour at 7 and 9 p.m. Architectural tours take place at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

A highlight is the tour from midnight to 11 p.m., personally accompanied by Paneum founder Peter Augendopler. With just one admission ticket you can visit all participating museums that evening.