A Day in Vienna

29 September 2025

Queen Mathilde responded to President Alexander van der Bellen's invitation to officially open the exhibition "Michaelina Wautier, Malerin" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

This truely palatial museum houses a record number of paintings by the 17th century Belgian artist. 

Queen Mathilde about the artist:

"Her lack of recognition until the 2018 solo exhibitions in Antwerp is indicative of the invisibility of women artists generally. ‘For most of history, anonymous was a woman,’ wrote Virginia Woolf, one reason why this exhibition, along with the one to be held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, is all the more necessary."

In the morning Mathilde had another activity in Vienna. As SDG advocate for the United Nations she visited UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 

At the offices she was informed about the current drug prevention programs aimed at young people, and about UNODC's work in Belgium.

Mathilde was accompanied by Belgian national Drug Commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch.