Austrian Gallery

Ludwig Wittgenstein, caricature

Ludwig Wittgenstein. Caricature of the Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein (1889-1951). Wittgenstein is considered by many to be the greatest philosopher of the 20th century. He worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He helped inspire two of the century's principal philosophical movements: the Vienna Circle, and Oxford ordinary language philosophy. His works Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (TLP) and Philosophical Investigations are ranked by some as among the top five most important books in twentieth-century philosophy

© GARY BROWN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Venus of Willendorf, Stone Age figurine

Venus of Willendorf, Stone Age figurine, rear view. Discovered in 1908 near Willendorf, Austria, this 11-centimetre-tall limestone figurine dates from around 23, 000 years ago. It is displayed in the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. It is attributed to the Gravettian people, a culture of early modern humans that lived in Europe between 28, 000 and 23, 000 years ago

© JAVIER TRUEBA/MSF/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychologist

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Austrian psychologist, holding a cigar. Freud established the idea that mental disorders could have psychological as well as physiological causes. He theorised that the human mind contains both conscious and unconscious levels. Unpleasant memories are repressed and stored unconsciously, but they still affect the behaviour of a patient. Freud analysed dreams to study this unconscious level. His studies led him to believe that sexual impulses were responsible for irrational thoughts and behaviour (neuroses)

© HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARY/NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY