Die Brunngasse mit dem ersten vegetarischen Restaurant in Wien

Art Historical Context

This watercolor by Gustav Korompay offers a charming glimpse of Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century. Painted around 1900 on paper measuring just 29.2 by 21.5, the work depicts Brunasse, a quiet street that once housed the city’s first vegetarian restaurant. The modest scale and fluid medium allow Korompay to record everyday urban life with delicate washes of color, capturing the façades, passersby, and quiet atmosphere of a changing metropolis. At a time when vegetarianism was still a novel idea linked to health reform and emerging social movements, the scene carries quiet cultural significance. Korompay’s light touch and attention to architectural detail preserve a moment when progressive ideas were beginning to appear in the city’s streets. Now part of the Belvedere Collection, the drawing reminds viewers how small neighborhood establishments helped shape Vienna’s rich social history.