Gustav Klimt, extensive gallery of paintings and videos. Gustav Klimt – biography and paintings of the artist in the genre of Symbolism, Art Nouveau – Art Challenge

Gustav Klimt (German: Gustav Klimt; July 14, 1862, Baumgarten, Austrian Empire - February 6, 1918, Vienna, Austria-Hungary) is a widely known Austrian artist, the founder of modernism in Austrian painting. The main subject of his painting was the female body, and most of his works are distinguished by overt eroticism.

Gustav Klimt was born in the Vienna suburb of Baumgarten in the family of the engraver and jeweler Ernest Klimt, the second of seven children - three boys and four girls. Klimt's father was a native of Bohemia and a gold engraver; his mother, Anna Klimt, née Finster, tried but failed to become a musician. Klimt spent most of his childhood in poverty, as the economic situation in the country was difficult and his parents did not have permanent jobs. All three of Ernest Klimt's sons became artists.

At first, Gustav learned to draw from his father, and then, from 1876, at the Vienna Arts and Crafts School at the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry (teachers Karl Grachovina, Ludwig Minnigerode, Michael Rieser), which his brother Ernst also enrolled in in 1877. Gustav Klimt studied there until 1883 and specialized in architectural painting. His model during this period was the historical artist Hans Makart. Unlike many other young artists, Klimt agreed with the principles of a conservative academic education. From 1880, Gustav, his brother Ernst and their friend the artist Franz Mach worked together, decorating theaters in Reichenberg, Rijeka and Karlovy Vary (cities in the Austro-Hungarian province) with frescoes. In 1885 they worked on the design of the Vienna building of the Burgtheater and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. In 1888, Klimt received an award from Emperor Franz Joseph - the “Golden Cross” for his services to art. He also became an honorary member of the Universities of Munich and Vienna.

In 1892, Ernst's father and brother died, and Gustav became financially responsible for the family. Moreover, these events left an imprint on his artistic views, and he soon began to develop a deeply individual style. In the early 1890s, the artist met Emilia Flöge, who, despite his relationships with other women, remained his companion until the end of his days.

Klimt in 1897 became one of the founders and president of the Vienna Secession and the magazine "Ver Sacrum" (Rite of Spring), published by the group. He remained with the group until 1908. Initially, the goals of the Secession were to organize exhibitions for young artists writing in an unusual style, to attract the best works of foreign artists to Vienna, and to popularize the work of group members by publishing a magazine. The group did not have a manifesto, and it did not try to develop a single style: naturalists, realists and symbolists coexisted within it. The government supported their efforts and leased them a piece of city land to build an exhibition hall. The symbol of the group was Pallas Athena, a symbol of justice, wisdom and art.

From the early 1890s, Klimt took annual holidays with the Flöge family to Lake Attersee and painted many landscapes there. The landscape genre was the only non-figurative painting that interested Klimt. Klimt's landscapes are similar in style to his depictions of figures and contain the same design elements. The landscapes of Attersee are so successfully embedded in the plane of the canvas that it is sometimes assumed that Klimt viewed them through a telescope.

In 1894, Klimt received a commission to create three paintings to decorate the ceiling of the large assembly hall of the main building of the University of Vienna on the Ringstrasse. The allegorical paintings "Philosophy", "Medicine" and "Jurisprudence", known as "faculty" paintings, were completed by 1900. They were sharply criticized for their subject matter, which was called “pornographic”. Klimt transformed traditional allegories and symbols into a new language, with a greater emphasis on eroticism, and therefore more irritating to conservative viewers. Dissatisfaction was expressed by all circles - political, aesthetic and religious. As a result, the paintings were not exhibited in the university's main building. This was the last public commission that the artist agreed to fulfill. After this, the paintings were purchased by philanthropist August Lederer. In the 1930s, Nazi authorities nationalized Lederer's collection of Klimt's works. At the end of the war these works were moved to Immerhof Palace, but in 1945 Allied forces entered the area and the retreating SS troops set the castle on fire. The paintings were lost. All that is available today are scattered preliminary sketches, poor quality black and white photographs of three paintings, and one color photograph of Hygeia from Medicine. Its sparkling gold and red colors give an idea of ​​how powerful these three lost works of art were.

This is part of a Wikipedia article used under the CC-BY-SA license. Full text of the article here →

This article is dedicated to today's event. On July 14, 2012, Gustav Klimt would have turned 150 years old.. Gustav Klimt is an Austrian artist, born on July 14, 1862. Many call him the founder of Austrian modernism. The artist painted mainly women, naked women. His paintings often contained overt eroticism.

Klimt's father was also an artist and a gold engraver. My mother dreamed of becoming a musician all her life, but it never worked out for her. There were 8 children in the Klimt family, Gustav was born second.

The child spent his childhood in poverty, despite his father’s good profession. There was no permanent job in the country, so I had to go through financial difficulties. Gustav learned to draw from his father, but already in 1876 he entered the art and craft school, where his brother also entered in 1877. All three sons of Ernest Klimt became artists in the future.

The brothers worked together for a long time, decorating theaters, various buildings, and museums with frescoes. In 1888, Gustav received a well-deserved award - “ Golden cross"from Emperor Franz Joseph himself. Everything was going well, and things were looking up, but in 1892, Gustav Klimt’s father and brother died, and therefore the entire responsibility for providing for the family fell on the artist’s shoulders.

Gustav Klimt I wrote a lot, especially when he and his family went to Lake Attersee, and this was quite often. It was here that he completed his beautiful landscapes. This is the only genre that interested the artist, where people did not appear. But despite this, many scientists find human figures in Klimt’s landscapes, and there is some truth in this.

In 1894, Klimt received one of the large orders. It was necessary to paint 3 paintings that would decorate the ceiling of the University of Vienna. Thus, in 1900, “Philosophy”, “Medicine” and “Jurisprudence” were born. But society did not accept these paintings, considering them too explicit, and therefore they were not exhibited at the university. This was Klimt's last public commission.

Since the beginning of the 1900s, the so-called “ Golden period"artist's creativity. It was during this time that such paintings as “The Palace of Athena”, “Judith” and others were created. At this time, society adequately perceived Klimt’s works, but this is not the only reason why this period was called golden. The color of gold and gilding very often prevailed in the artist’s paintings, which fans of his work really liked.

Gustav Klimt led a normal life, worked a lot, and at home. He was a famous artist, so orders came to him regularly, and he only took on interesting ones. Women posed for him with great pleasure, some of them were prostitutes. Klimt said that he was not interested in painting self-portraits; it was much more exciting to paint other personalities, and especially women. Gustav claimed that his paintings could say a lot about him, just by looking at them carefully.

February 6, 1918 biography of Gustav Klimt ends. He died of pneumonia, having previously suffered a stroke. He was buried in Vienna. Today is the 150th anniversary of the birth of this wonderful artist and this date should not go unnoticed. Well, as we promised, at the end of this article you can watch a video dedicated to the paintings of Gustav Klimt.

Gustav Klimt is a great Austrian artist. He is one of the founders of Austrian Art Nouveau. Born in 1862 in Baumgarten. His father Ernest Klimt was an engraver and jeweler. It was his activities that prompted Gustav, at a young age, to devote his life to art. The situation in the country at that time was disastrous; people often did not have work, and therefore the family of the future artist spent time in poverty. Gustav was one of seven children in the Klimt family. It is worth noting that all three of Ernest’s sons became artists.

As already mentioned, Gustav received his first drawing lessons from his father. Then there was an art and craft school. His first works were frescoes for Austrian theaters. He also designed the buildings of the Burgtheater and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It was at this time that his special style, a special style of painting with a predominance of sensuality, ornamentalism, etc. was born. His works are increasingly overgrown with decorative elements, which gives each work a special meaning, symbolism, and encrypted messages.

The play of ornaments and avant-garde depictions of nature, landscape, the combination of different styles - all this made Gustav Klimt one of the most significant avant-garde artists and modernists of world significance. Fame came to him during his lifetime, which happens very rarely with artists, who often receive the highest recognition only after death. In 1897 he became honorary professor at the Vienna and Munich Academy of Fine Arts. Perhaps the most famous painting by G. Klimt was the painting “ Kiss". The silhouette of a kissing couple, which is dissolved in a colored mosaic, spots and ornamental patterns, has haunted all art critics for many decades. No less famous is the painting “ Judith«.

Gustav Klimt never married, but various sources attribute to him up to forty illegitimate children. The great avant-garde artist died on February 6, 1918 in Vienna.

Beethoven Frieze, The Suffering of Humanity

Tree of Life

Josef Pembauer Sr.

Medicine

Poster for the first Secession exhibition

Klimt Gustav is a famous Austrian painter. One of the most prominent representatives of the Art Nouveau style. Born on the outskirts of Vienna in the family of an artist-engraver. Graduated from the Vienna School of Decorative Arts. The artist's early works consisted mainly of large frescoes for theaters and were painted in a naturalistic style. In the paintings depicting allegorical figures, executed by Klimt in 1890-1891 on the vaults of the grand staircase of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the features that became fundamental in his work - a clear silhouette and a penchant for ornamentalism - first appear. After 1898, Gustav Klimt's works took on a more decorative, symbolic aspect.

Gustav Klimt was the leader of the Viennese avant-garde at the turn of the century. Being primarily a decorative artist, Klimt led the Viennese community of innovative artists "Secession" - a protest movement against the aesthetic conservatism and moralizing of the previous generation. Klimt's best paintings are considered to be the artist's later portraits, with their flat, unshaded surfaces, transparent, mosaic-like colors and shapes, and sinuous, ornate lines and patterns. Klimt's paintings combine two opposing forces; on the one hand, there is a thirst for absolute freedom in the depiction of objects, which leads to a play of ornamental forms. These paintings by the artist are in fact symbolic and should be considered in the context of symbolism as an expression of an unattainable world that stands above time and reality. On the other hand, this is the power of perception of nature and nature, the influence of which softens the pomp of ornamentation in the paintings of Gustav Klimt. Among the artist's most delightful works are the panels for the "Burgtheater" in Vienna (1888), and a series of mosaic frescoes in the Pallas Stoclet, a rich private mansion in Brussels. By the end of his life in 1917, Klimt had won full official recognition, becoming an honorary professor at the Vienna and Munich Academies of Fine Arts

Painting by Gustav Klimt “The Kiss”. In a field of flowers, a silhouette of a kissing couple emerges from ornaments and abstract shapes. The color of the painting is dominated by a golden tone interspersed with bright spots of wildflowers and rich patterns of clothing. The erotic character is given to the scene by sensual lines, lush ornamentation and spicy coloring - a symbol of luxury and decadence. This style is often called Art Nouveau. Klimt painted a large number of portraits, mostly of women, as well as mythological and allegorical compositions. Gustav Klimt's designs for applied art and mosaics were a huge success, but the artist's wall paintings for the University of Vienna caused a scandal and were considered "pornographic" by art critics of the early twentieth century. Gustav Klimt died in 1918.

Secession (German Sezession, from Latin secessio - departure, separation), the name of associations of artists in Munich, Vienna, Berlin, who rejected academic doctrines and acted as heralds of the Art Nouveau style. The Vienna Secession arose in 1897 and united artists of the Austrian Art Nouveau - "Sezessionsstil" - around the magazine "Ver Sacrum", founded in 1898. The magazine was also the organ of Austrian literary symbolism (Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Rainer Maria Rilke). The association was led by the painter Gustav Klimt. The characteristic features of this style for painting were mosaic multicolor and sophisticated ornamentation, for graphics - geometric clarity of the design with its overall free decorativeness, for architecture - rhythmic orderliness of divisions, laconic decor, rationality of compositional and constructive solutions. The masters of this style (Joseph Maria Olbrich, Otto Wagner, Joseph Hofmann, Karl Moser and other artists) were distinguished by their attraction to straightforward ornamentation, which maintained geometric rigidity even in the most complex combinations. In this regard, the “secession style” is sometimes called the “square style” (Quadratstill).

From Masterweb

Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918) was considered one of the most controversial, but also the most popular and gifted artists of the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. In his work, the main theme was almost always female figures, which often symbolized human feelings and conditions, such as hope, love, death and others. The paintings of Gustav Klimt continue to fascinate our contemporaries with the ambiguous content and erotic charisma of the female images he created. Today, the works of this founder of Austrian modernism are classified as the most expensive paintings in the world. Reflecting the main stages of the artist’s life, the article will introduce the features and history of Gustav Klimt’s paintings and show how his classical manner was gradually transformed into a completely individual style, which became one of the main sources of subsequent modern trends.

Family, education, early creativity

He was born in Baumgarten, a Vienna suburb, in the family of the engraver Ernst Klimt. His mother, a failed pianist, gave birth to seven children, of whom Gustav was the second. His two younger brothers Ernst and Georg also became artists. A large family always needed money. And when in 1876 Gustav entered the Kunstgewerbeschule, the Viennese school of applied arts and crafts, it was assumed that he would study only his father's profession. But the young man received a scholarship, which allowed him to choose the specialty “architectural painting” and continue his studies until 1883. His brother Ernst entered the same school a year later than Gustav, but studied only the specialty of an engraver.

Klimt received a quality conservative education, and his early works correspond to the ideals of academicism. Among the paintings of 1879–1880, his creative studies in the style of historicism have been preserved. In terms of technique and subject matter, these works demonstrate fine detail and similarities to the work of his fellow student and colleague Franz Matsch.

1880 – 1990, beginning of activity

By 1880, Franz Matsch, Gustav and his brother Ernst registered the artist community Künstler-Compagnie with a working studio on Josefstädter Strasse in Lehmann. The company began receiving orders for the decoration of public buildings. Among other things, the group designed curtains and ceiling paintings for theaters in Reichenberg, Hermesville, Carlsbad and Fiume in 1885. In the new building of the Vienna "Burgtheater" in 1886-1888. friends created ceiling frescoes and intercolumn paintings, mosaic panels. In 1891–1892, the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna, as well as Peles Castle in Romania, were decorated with frescoes. After the artist's younger brother Georg Klimt came of age in 1888, Gustav went on a creative journey for a year to Krakow, Trieste, Venice and Munich.

In 1888, Klimt was awarded the Golden Order of Merit by the Emperor of Austria. This is how the frescoes painted by the artist for the Vienna “Burgtheater” were marked. After this, Klimt became an honorary member of the Universities of Munich and Vienna.

Author's style 1880 – 1990

Klimt's monumental works from 1886 to 1891 for the Burgtheater and the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum reflect the antique direction and academic style inherent in the artist at this stage. The works show an analogy with the work of the British artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema. "Allegories and Emblems" is one of Gustav Klimt's successful fresco series developed during this period. All frescoes, like the paintings of that period, are carefully detailed and drawn.

From the paintings of Gustav Klimt, the oil canvas “Sappho” (1888-1890; 39 cm × 31.6 cm) can be cited as a typical example of the subjects and techniques of the artist’s early creative stage. The image of the ancient Greek poetess against the backdrop of nature and ancient architecture reflects the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites and the dreamy literary symbolism of Moreau. A similar composition in Klimt, built according to conservative classical canons, is present in his monumental painting for the Burgtheater.

Works 1880 – 1990

During this period, Klimt was more engaged in his immediate specialty, architectural painting. However, if the Künstler-Compagnie company was registered at Josefstadt 8, then Klimt rented a garden pavilion on the same street opposite the theater for his own studio, where he painted many works. Among the most famous works of this period are:

1. Ceiling paintings for the University of Vienna.
2. Mosaic of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels.
3. Fable (1883).
4. "Idylls" (1884).
5. Frescoes in the “Burgtheater” in Vienna (1886 – 1888).
6. "Allegory of Sculpture" (1889).
7. Portrait of Joseph Pembower, pianist and teacher (1890).
8. “Ancient Greece II” (“The Girl from Tanagra”) (1890 – 1891).

1891 – 1900, Vienna Secession

In 1891, Klimt became a member of the Viennese artists' cooperative at the Künstlerhaus, an exhibition building in the center of Vienna. In 1892, his father died in July, and six months later in December, his brother Ernst also died, after which Gustav took over the maintenance of his mother and financial assistance to his brother’s family.

On May 24, 1897, Klimt resigned from the Künstlerhaus and became one of the founders of the Vienna Secession group, of which he was chairman from 1897 to 1899. The group consisted of Viennese youth representing different areas of art. The association did not declare its manifesto. His goal, in contrast to the conservatism of the Künstlerhaus, was to create exhibitions for young progressive artists of new styles.

The government supported the group's efforts and provided a lease on public lands for the construction of a Secession exhibition hall. It was built by one of the group members, architect Josef Olbrich, in 1897–1898. In 1898, the Secession organized its first exhibition. Klimt designed metal doors for the building, and supplied many illustrations and templates for the group's periodical "Holy Spring" (Ver Sacrum) from 1898 to 1903. The group became the basis on which a version of the German Art Nouveau Jugendstil, called in Austria the Viennese Secession, developed. The symbol of the group was Pallas Athena - the Greek goddess of justice, wisdom, and art. A radical version of her image can be seen in the paintings of Gustav Klimt, painted in 1898. The artist remained a member of the Secession until 1908.

Creativity 1891 – 1900

From this period, a series of female portraits appeared: “Young Woman in a Chair”, “Portrait of a Woman”, “Girl by the Fireplace”, “Girl in a Chair”, “Portrait of Sonya Knips” and others. Some of them are drawn with photographic care, others are more reminiscent of the impressionist style. At the same time, the artist developed his own characteristic style.

The golden background is present in several of the artist’s paintings. Gustav Klimt begins to use it for the first time in the mid-1890s. The master was passionate about Japanese fine art, and his works are reminiscent of the work of Ogata Korin, a 17th-century painter. Since then, the use of a thin coating of precious metal has become characteristic of Klimt's works, especially during his Golden Period.

The beginning of the Vienna Secession represents the time of Art Nouveau and is probably a turning point in Klimt's work. His work from those years was clearly influenced by such established artists as Franz von Stuck and Jan Toorop. For example, the depiction of women's hair in Gustav Klimt's paintings is reminiscent of Torop's painting. "Judith I", painted by Klimt in 1901, seems to be inspired by Franz von Stuck's "The Sin". The position of the two bodies in Klimt's Water Serpents corresponds roughly to that of Edward Burne-Jones's 1887 painting The Depths of the Sea.

At the end of the 19th century, the image of a woman symbolizing “naked truth” (Nuda Veritas) appeared, which eventually became characteristic of Klimt’s work. The first image of Klimt's Nuda Veritas was an illustration for the March issue of Ver sacrum magazine. And the prototype for it was probably the artist’s own “Isis” from “Egyptian Images” (Zwickelbild Egypt) of 1891.

Works 1891 – 1900

Klimt always worked extremely hard, constantly disappearing into the studio, and his work is considered one of the most productive. Here are some of Gustav Klimt's most famous paint-by-number paintings during the decade:

1. 1895 - 1896: “Portrait of a Lady”, “Music I”, “Love”, “Sculpture”.
2. 1897 – 1898: “Tragedy”, “Music II”, “Pallas Athena”, “Flowing Water”, “Portrait of Sonya Knips”, “Blood of Fishes”.
3. 1899: “Schubert at the Piano”; “After the Rain”, “Nymphs. Silver Fish", "Mermaids", "Nuda Veritas", "Portrait of Serena Lederer".
4. 1899 – 1907: “Philosophy”.

Scandalous order of 1990

In 1894, the Austrian Ministry of Education commissioned Klimt to create three large-scale paintings to decorate the ceiling in the hall of the Faculty of Painting of the University of Vienna. Until 1990, not all paintings were ready. The first work - “Philosophy” - was subjected to merciless criticism by university professors. At the same time, “Philosophy,” exhibited by Klimt at the Paris exhibition in 1990, was awarded a gold medal. The artist depicted a nude female figure in an allegorical form, but all his works of this kind have an incredible power of eroticism. After the scandal, the Austrian public was even less ready for a compromise perception of Gustav Klimt’s paintings painted in 1991 with the titles “Medicine” and “Jurisprudence”. Considered pornographic images, these works were harshly rejected by university, political, religious and cultural circles.

The artist exhibited all three paintings at the Secession, and Klimt and Franz Match had serious disagreements regarding their content. Match's "Theology" was accepted by the teaching committee and is still at the University of Vienna. Journalist Karl Kraus in The Torch magazine, defending the university's rejection of Klimt's Philosophy, disparagingly noted that Paris, which imports art in the style of "goût Juif" (Jewish taste), would certainly approve of the paintings for a temple of science such as the university. After the scandal, Klimt no longer accepted government commissions, devoting himself to portrait and landscape painting.

"Medicine"

All the paintings were purchased for 30,000 crowns by the Austrian industrialist August Lederer, a collector and philanthropist. However, the work burned down in 1945 during the retreat of German troops in Lower Austria. What remains of the project are several individual sketches and poor quality black and white photographs. The photo of Gustav Klimt’s painting “Medicine” reflects only part of the monumental work. It depicts Hygeia, which was located in the lower central part of the canvas. The image was preserved because it was part of a selection of works from 300 copies of art albums published in 1914 under Klimt’s personal supervision. The best works of the artist from 1893 to 1913 were photographed for the publication. In the first thirty copies, the most important lithographs were printed in color. Among these images, a fragment of “Medicine” has been preserved, which gives an idea of ​​​​the colorful brightness of the entire work.

Golden period

The creative phase, which brought the artist fame, wealth and the largest number of private orders, lasted until the beginning of the 1910s. Using gold leaf for backgrounds since the mid-1890s, Klimt became fascinated by the amazing possibilities of this material. No reproductions of Gustav Klimt’s paintings will convey all the splendor of the golden hair of his “Water Serpents,” the sparkling jewelry and transparent folds of the clothes of “Judith” I and II, and the precious rain “Danae.”

The thinnest gold leaf, unlike primer, varnish and paint, is resistant to abrasion. This substrate creates a special effect, shining through a light layer of paint. By covering the gold background with a transparent or slightly tinted varnish, you can achieve the impression of a variety of textures in various ways. Paint applied to gold can be scratched, erased, already dried or wet, or partially removed with a solvent, thereby obtaining the most interesting effects. By applying precious metal to a paint layer, you can achieve completely different visual results. The artist became fascinated by the decorative properties of gold (sometimes silver sheet) for a long time and created many breathtaking works. It is impossible to list all the works created during this period by Gustav Klimt's numbers. The painting “The Kiss”, “Adele Bloch-Bauer”, “Goldfish”, both paintings “Judith”, “Danae”, “Water Serpents” are considered the most impressive.

"Kiss"

This painting from 1907–1908 is not only the most famous, but also iconic for Klimt’s work to the same extent as “La Gioconda” for da Vinci. The entire composition, color and technical solution create the impression that this canvas is an icon of fiery and tender love.

Gustav Klimt depicted the painting “The Kiss” on a perfect square of canvas measuring 180 by 180 cm. A man and wife entwined in an embrace are painted at the edge of a cliff covered with colorful flowers. Their bodies are almost completely covered with clothes and enclosed in a kind of golden halo, which is even more reminiscent of icons. The face of the male figure is hidden, but it is tempting to see “The Kiss” as an autobiographical work in which the artist depicted himself. Who could turn out to be the prototype of the female figure in this case? Art historians have been solving this riddle for many years. By leaving understatement and some ambiguity in the depicted personalities, the artist thereby increases the attractiveness of the work. In The Kiss, Gustav Klimt embodies not just a subjective or situational meaning, but a universal, timeless vision of romantic love.

The work was presented by the artist at the Vienna Kunstschau exhibition in 1908. It was immediately acquired by the Austrian Ministry of Culture and Education. The canvas is stored in the Belvedere Gallery in the artist’s homeland.

Exhibitions

Klimt's "Golden Period" is marked by the largest number of exhibitions of the artist throughout Europe, which testifies to his importance on the art scene of that time.

1. In 1905, Klimt exhibited fifteen works at the newly opened Berlin Secession at the annual Deutscher Künstlerbund exhibition and received the Villa Romana Prize.
2. In 1906, the artist traveled to Belgium and England, and by the end of the year he was appointed an honorary member of the Royal Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.
3. In 1908 he exhibited in Florence, then in Prague and Dresden.
4. In 1909 he went to Munich, Paris, Madrid and Toledo.
5. In 1910, at the IX Venice Biennale, his works were received with unprecedented enthusiasm.
6. 1911 - exhibition in Rome (first prize for the painting “Death and Life”)
7. 1912 - Dresden again.
8. 1913 - Budapest, Munich and Mannheim
9. In 1914, Klimt exhibited with the Austrian Artists Association in Rome and visited Brussels.
10. In 1916, together with Schiele and Kokoschka, he participated in the Berlin Federal Exhibition.
11. In 1912, Klimt became president of the Federation of Austrian Artists.

The last creative stage

From 1900 to 1916, Klimt lived mainly in a summer resort villa on Lake Attersee in Upper Austria. Most of his many landscapes are painted here. Some of them, in order to capture a greater perspective, were written from a very long distance. And Klimt in these cases used his telescope, looking at the nuances of color and shadow among the selected details of the landscape. His landscapes are very voluminous and perfectly create the impression of space and air. At the beginning of 1910, gold and ornamental motifs completely disappeared from his works. Color becomes the artist's main tool for conveying ideas and feelings.

Paintings today

Klimt was always, at every creative stage, a sought-after artist and never lacked wealthy clients. Many of his works were purchased for museums, but most were acquired for private collections.

In 2006, five paintings belonging to the heirs of Bernhard Altmann were exhibited in New York at Christie's and sold for a staggering price:

1. The first portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, known as “Golden Adele”, or the painting “Woman in Gold”, was painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907. The painting was purchased for $135 million by Ronald Lauder for the New York New Gallery. At that time, this was the highest price for a painting; now the work ranks eighth on the list of the most expensive paintings.
2. The second portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, painted in 1912, was purchased by a bidder for $87.936 million. At that time, it was the fifth highest cost per painting in the world.
3. Bauerngarten (Blumengarten) 1903, went to auction for $33,056 million.
4. Apfelbaum I (1912) sold for $40.336 million.
5. The landscape "Houses in Unterach am Attersee", painted around 1916, was purchased for $31.376 million.

Klimt is one of the most important artists of the Art Nouveau period in Austria and also holds a leading position internationally. However, his work was partially ignored by German-language art criticism in the first half of the 20th century or accepted as pure decorative painting. Only later did his static symbolism and ornamental abstraction become a recognized trend in the development of modern painting. In addition, Klimt promoted young artists such as Egon Schiele or Oskar Kokoschka, thus making another important contribution to the progress of modern art.

Kievyan Street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255