As one of the few foundations of the latter part of the 17th century, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna owns a visual memory such as has been lost in most other institutions of its kind for quite some time. Besides the surviving parts of the former sculpture gallery, the Graphic Collection with its ca. 40.000 drawings, 100.000 prints, and 20.000 photographs reflects more than 300 years of Central European art education. The history of the Collection is not only inextricably linked to the development of the Academy but also to the arts and art politics of the Habsburg monarchy.

That the Graphic Collection has only been known to scholars results from its original function as a teaching tool that was merely accessible to members of the Academy until the end of the 19th century and was only presented to the public in the form of occasional exhibitions at a rather late point in time. It was not before the Collection moved to its new rooms in the Akademiehof in 1997 that it was increasingly used for study purposes and offered a comprehensive exhibition program. It was also in the years after its move that crucial research projects were realized and completed. Since December 2005, the Collection has been temporarily stored in the Albertina and can be used in the Albertina Study Room by prior appointment.