This presentation of the collection looks beyond a purely stylistic history of art to focus on the interactions between art and society. Influenced by the political and social environment, migration, international networks, and also by economic conditions, artistic production reflects the complexity of its time.

Each section of the display highlights selected self-portraits. They act as a leitmotif, offering an insight into the changing image and self-conception of artists through the centuries, ranging from anonymity and dependence to autonomy. The self-portraits accompany the visitor on this chronological tour through the world-famous collection of the Belvedere—through eight hundred years of art history from the Middle Ages to the 1970s.