Joseph Rebell (1787 - 1828), director of the painting collection from 1824 - 1828, had the rooms of the Upper Belvedere, which were partly open, glazed.

His successor, Johann Peter Krafft (1780 - 1856), added the "modern Austrian School" to the collection of Italian, Dutch and German art. This new school incorporated Neoclassical, Romantic and Biedermeier paintings.

The important Austrian composer Anton Bruckner spent the last year of his life in an apartment in the so called custodian´s tract - the buildings that adjoin the Upper Belvedere to the Northeast. In 1896 he wrote here on his Ninth Symphony and died on 11 October 1896.

From 1897 the Upper Belvedere was remodelled and modernised after plans by the architect Emil von Förster as a residence for the heir of the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand. He lived in the palace from 1899. At that time neo-baroque furnishing supplemented the original baroque furniture. Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 in Sarajevo, the palace remained empty until 1917.

In 1919 the palace passed into the possessions of the 1st Republic of Austria and the Austrian Gallery came into being. The collection was restructured, incorporating international art. In 1923 the baroque museum was opened and one year later the Gallery of the 19th century.