A Sphinx Draws Him: Maximilian of Habsburg and Egyptian Collections

A Sphinx Draws Him: Maximilian of Habsburg and the Egyptian Collections

When: 2 April – 1 November 2026
Where: Scuderie of Miramare Castle, Trieste

This exhibition traces the formation and history of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian’s Egyptian collection, bringing to Trieste a curated selection of more than one hundred objects mainly on loan from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, together with pieces from local collections such as the Civic Museum of Antiquities J. J. Winckelmann.

Highlights

• Sphinx heads and statues in basalt and granodiorite spanning periods from the Middle to the Late Kingdoms.
• Gold, faience and bronze objects (pendants, amulets, udjat eyes) demonstrating funerary craftsmanship and symbolic language.
• Statuary groups that illuminate religious practices and burial rites.

Curated by Massimo Osanna, Christian Greco, Cäcilia Bischoff and Michaela Hüttner, the selection explores 19th-century collecting practices and the transformation of private cabinets into public museums devoted to study and preservation.

Organization and partners

The exhibition is organised by the Historical Museum and Park of Miramare Castle in co-operation with the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna; production by MondoMostre and CoopCulture, in collaboration with the Municipality of Trieste and the Egyptian Museum of Turin, supported by PromoTurismoFVG.

Educational programme

A comprehensive educational offer is available for schools: guided tours, hands-on workshops and storytelling routes designed to engage students with Egyptian symbols, materials and cultural contexts.

Practical information

• Dates: 2 April – 1 November 2026
• Venue: Scuderie of Miramare Castle, Trieste
• Tickets & bookings: online sales via CoopCulture (search for Miramare / Egypt exhibition)

The exhibition not only displays important artifacts but also contextualises the collecting choices of Maximilian and his aim to promote research through cataloguing and acquisitions, offering visitors both a visual and historical journey into 19th-century Egyptomania.