Salon Strauss
Wertvolle Wandgemälde und ein dekorativer Kamin bestimmen das Interieur dieses Salons. Direkt mit dem Festsaal verbunden, wird hier jeder Besuch zum einzigartigen Erlebnis– ob Konzert, Lesung oder Dinner.
Salon Strauss
Reception Hall
History of the Salons
From the grand staircase, adorned with the monograms of Eduard and Moritz Todesco, guests enter the antechamber, now known as the “Black Room.” This room played a key role as it served as a central hub between the social, residential, and service areas of the home. It provided access to the main reception and living areas while keeping the servants’ quarters separate.
From this antechamber, guests were led into the reception salon. The door to the salon is still visible on the left side but can no longer be used. The original furnishing plan by Theophil Hansen, preserved in the Academy of Fine Arts’ collection, shows a round sofa in the center, four seating areas, and a piano by the windows.
The black marble fireplace opposite the windows is an original feature.
The ceiling, designed in detail by Hansen, is divided into seven sections. Every other section features a sculpted allegory representing the arts: painting, poetry, music, and sculpture. These female figures float in gold-framed, narrow rectangular panels and appear to extend into the room. The artwork reflects the role of Sophie Todesco, who hosted an important salon for Vienna’s cultural life during the Historicist period. Each allegory holds her respective symbol: painting with a brush, poetry with a lyre and scroll, music with another lyre, and sculpture with a statue.
A few years later, Hansen revisited this ceiling design and expanded it on a monumental scale in the great hall of the Vienna Musikverein building.
