Art Nouveau is an art movement that emerged from an international renewal movement at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and lasted for about twenty years. The name is derived from the German art magazine "Jugend". In France this art movement was called Art nouveau, in Great Britain Modern Style, in Austria Jugendstil is also known as Secession Style. Art Nouveau included not only painting but also architecture, sculpture, handicrafts, ceramics, goldsmiths' art, glass art and furniture design. Art Nouveau was created as a countermovement to the rapid industrialization of the time. Handicraft should become important again, therefore there are also many objects of daily use.

Gustav Klimt is one of the most important artists of Art Nouveau. He is a co-founder of the Vienna Secession, an artists' association of the time. Many of his paintings, including the world-famous masterpiece "The Kiss", are in the large collection of paintings in the Vienna Belvedere. Graphic art was also included in the painting. Around 1900, this gave rise to significant poster art.

There are many architecturally exceptional buildings from this period. The Viennese Otto Wagner built the stations of the old Viennese city railway. Bridges, lamps, etc. were also designed to match. The church at Steinhof is another special building by Otto Wagner. Josef Hoffmann was a co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätten (Viennese Workshops), where special attention was paid to the design of beautiful everyday objects. Furniture by Hoffmann is still a sought-after piece today.