Gustav Klimt, extensive gallery of paintings and videos. The inimitable Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt is one of the most original artists of Austria at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. The main characters of his paintings are mainly women, and the works themselves touch upon such universal themes as death, old age and love, conveyed in bright colors and shades of gold with smooth transitions, which gives individuality to his work.

EARLY YEARS.

Gustav Klimt was born on July 14, 1862 in the Vienna suburb of Baumgarten. Gustav's father, Ernst Klimt, was an engraver and jeweler. The Klimt family had seven children - three boys and four girls. His father began teaching Gustav the art of painting, and in 1876, having brilliantly passed the entrance exams, Gustav entered the Vienna Art and Crafts School at the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, where he studied until 1883, specializing in architectural painting. The rest of Gustav's brothers also studied at the same school.

Portrait of Clara Klimt, 1883

Portrait of Helene Klimt, 1898

Portrait of Emilie Floge at the age of 17, 1891

Portrait of a Girl (1894) (14 x 9.6)
Vienna, Leopold Museum

Two Girls with Oleanders (1890-1892)_Wadsworth_Athenaeum_source_Sandstead_

Portrait of Emilia Flöge (c.1892) (private collection)

SECESSION.

“We want to declare war on sterile routine, immobile Byzantinism, all kinds of bad taste... Our “Secession” is not a struggle between modern artists and old masters, it is a struggle for the success of artists, not shopkeepers who call themselves artists, but at the same time their commercial interests interfere with the flourishing of art."
This declaration by Hermann Bahr, playwright and theater critic, the spiritual father of the Secessionists, can serve as the motto for the founding in 1897 of the “Vienna Secession”, of which Klimt was one of the founders, president (until 1905) and spiritual leader.

The artists of the younger generation no longer wanted to accept the tutelage that academicism imposed on them; they demanded that their work be exhibited in a place free from “market forces.” They wanted to end Vienna's cultural isolation, invite artists from abroad to the city, and make the works of Secession members known in other countries. The secessionist program was significant not only in an “aesthetic” context, but also as a battle for the “right to creativity,” for art as such; it was the basis for the battle between "great art" and "minor genres", between "art for the rich" and "art for the poor" - in short, between "Venus" and "Nini".

The “Viennese Secession” played an important role in the development and spread of the Art Nouveau style as a force counteracting official academicism and bourgeois conservatism. This revolt of youth in search of liberation from the restrictions imposed on art by social, political and aesthetic conservatism could develop through unprecedented success and culminate in a utopian project: the idea of transforming society through art.

The opening of the Vienna Secession exhibition building in March 1898 was eagerly awaited. Here Klimt presented the composition “Theseus and the Minotaur”, filled with rich symbolic meaning. The fig leaf was deliberately absent, and the artist was forced to appease the modesty of the censors by depicting a tree. The almost completely naked Theseus symbolized the struggle for something new in art; he is on the illuminated side, while the Minotaur, pierced by the sword of Theseus and timidly retreating into the shadows, represents broken power. Athena, emerging from the head of Zeus, watches over the scene as the embodiment of the spirit born of the mind, symbolizing divine wisdom.

Poster for the first exhibiton of the Secession in Austria (Theseus and Minotaur), 1898

There is no art without patronage, and patrons for the Secession were found primarily among the Jewish families of the Viennese bourgeoisie: Karl Wittgenstein, the steel magnate, Fritz Werndorfer, the textile magnate, as well as the Knieps and Lederer families, who supported specifically Modern art. All of them were among those who commissioned paintings from Klimt, and he specialized in portraits of their wives.

Portrait of Sonya Knieps (1898) (141 x 141) (Vienna, Belvedere Gallery)

The portrait of Sonya Knips was the first in this “gallery of wives.” The Knieps family was involved in the metallurgical industry and banking. Josef Hofmann designed their house, and Klimt painted a number of paintings, including, in 1898, a portrait of Sonja in the center of the living room. The portrait combines several styles. It is well known that Klimt admired Makart's hyperbole, and the pose of Sonia Knieps indicates the influence of the creator of the portrait of the famous Burgtheater actress Charlotte Wolter in the image of Messalina, which is manifested, for example, in the asymmetrical position of the figure and in the emphasis of the silhouette. On the other hand, the interpretation of the dress, which is completely uncharacteristic of Klimt, is reminiscent of Whistler’s light cage. The proud, reserved expression that Klimt gave to this society lady is typical of the artist; from then on, it appears again and again in his femme fatales.

Portrait of Serena Lederer, 1899

Portrait of Rose von Rosthorn-Friedmann, 1900-01

Portrait of Marie Henneberg, 1901-02

Portrait of Hermine Gallia, 1904

Portrait of Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein, 1905

Portrait of Fritza Riedler,1906

Portraits of society ladies gave Klimt financial independence. Thus, he was not obliged to cater to public tastes or to see his carefully thought out and brilliantly executed works trampled into the dirt. He believed that his paintings could be bought back for the same amount for which they were purchased.

The first features of his unique style first appeared in the paintings of the grand staircase of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum, created in 1890-1891.

Ancient Greece (The Girl from Tanagra) - Mural painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 1890

Mural painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna - Ancient Greece, 1890

Mural painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna - Egyptian Art, 1890

Mural painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna - Florentinian Renaissance, 1890

Mural painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna - Old Italian Art, 1890

In 1897, Klimt headed the Secession, an association of artists created in opposition to official art.

In 1900, he began work offered by the University of Vienna and presented the painting of one of the lampshades - “Philosophy”. It was then that a scandal broke out. On this lampshade, and then on the next ones - “Medicine” and “Jurisprudence” - the artist violated all the laws of color and composition, combining the incongruous. In his panels, man appears as a slave to his nature, obsessed with pain, sex and death. This Klimt both shocked and fascinated.

He perceived Philosophy as a synthesis of his ideas about the world, and at the same time as a search for his own style. In the catalogue, he explained: “On the left is a group of figures: Beginning of Life, Maturity and Decay. On the right is a ball representing mystery. An illuminated figure appears below: Knowledge.”

Philosophy, 1899-1907. Destroyed in 1945

Men and women swim as if in a trance, without controlling the chosen direction. This was contrary to the ideas about science and knowledge that prevailed among scientists of the time, who felt mortally insulted. The work was commissioned by the University of Vienna.

However, the venerable Viennese professors rebelled against what they saw as an attack on tradition. They suggested that the artist paint a picture that could express the triumph of light over darkness. Instead, Klimt presented them with an image of “the victory of darkness over everything.”

Inspired by the works of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche and trying to find his own way to unravel the metaphysical riddle of human existence, the artist turned their idea around to express the confusion of modern man. He did not hesitate to break taboos on such topics as illness, physical decline, poverty - in all their ugliness; Before this, reality was usually sublimated by presenting its most advantageous aspects.

Medicine (color copy of the Goddess Hygieia, the central figure of Medicine)
1900-07. 430x300
University of Vienna, fresco (destroyed)

The Allegory of Medicine, the second in a series of compositions for the University, again caused a scandal.
Klimt was condemned for depicting the helplessness of medicine and the power of disease.

The bodies, torn out by fate, are carried forward by the stream of life, in which, reconciled, all its stages, from birth to death, experience delight or pain. Such a vision borders on belittling the role of medicine; it emphasizes her powerlessness in comparison with the inescapable forces of Doom.

Gustav Klimt: 00644
Medicine, 1900-1907 Destroyed in 1945

The third work for the University, Jurisprudence, was met with similar hostility; spectators were shocked by the ugliness and nudity they believed they were seeing. Only Franz von Wyckhoff, professor of art history at the University of Vienna, defended Klimt in a legendary lecture entitled “What is Ugly?” However, the scandal provoked by Klimt was discussed even in Parliament. The artist was accused of “pornography” and “excessive perversity.”

Jurisprudence, 1903-1907 Destroyed in 1945

Instead of, as expected, depicting the victory of light over darkness, Klimt reflected the human feeling of uncertainty in the world around us.

But the scandal ended with the artist, having borrowed money, returning the advance to the university and keeping the works for himself. There were so many orders that this allowed him to quickly repay the debt and not think about money at all in the future.

He explained to the Viennese journalist Bertha Zuckerkandl: “The main reasons why I decided to ask for the paintings to be returned to me were not caused by irritation at various attacks... they could have arisen within myself. All the attacks from criticism hardly touched me at that time, and besides, it was impossible to take away the happiness that I experienced while working on these works. In general, I am very insensitive to attacks. But I become much more sensitive if I understand that someone who commissioned my work is dissatisfied with it. Just like when paintings are covered over.”

Eventually, the government agreed to have industrialist August Lederer buy Philosophy for a fraction of the original price. In 1907, Koloman Moser acquired Medicine and Law. In an attempt to save the paintings during World War II, they were moved to Immendorf Castle in southern Austria; On May 5, 1945, the castle and everything that was stored in it were destroyed in fire during the retreat of the SS troops.
Today some idea of the works that once caused such public outrage can be gained from black and white photographs and a good color copy of the Goddess Hygieia, the central figure of Medicine. There is also a “colorful” comment by Ludwig Hevesy: “Let the eye turn to the two side paintings, Philosophy and Medicine: a magical symphony in green, an inspiring overture in red, a purely decorative play of colors on both. In Jurisprudence, black and gold, unreal colors, dominate; and at the same time the line acquires significance, and the form becomes monumental.”

Klimt's work arose in the struggle between Eros and Thanatos, denying the basic laws of bourgeois society. In Philosophy, he depicted the triumph of darkness over light, contrary to generally accepted ideas. In Medicine exposed her inability to cure the disease. Finally, in Jurisprudence he wrote of a condemned man at the mercy of the three Furies: Truth, Justice and Law. They appear as Erinyes, surrounded by snakes; As punishment, the octopus squeezes the condemned man in its deadly embrace. With his images of sexual archetypes, Klimt wanted to shock prim society and “bring down the pillars” of morality.

Nothing has survived from this specially conceived group, except for some material evidence: photographs and copies of fragments of disappeared masterpieces. And also a bitter awareness of the powerlessness of an artist ridiculed by censorship. Klimt was never a professor at the Academy; but before those who mocked him, he held up the mirror of “naked truth” - Nuda Veritas.

Austrian National Library in Vienna
Nuda Veritas (Naked Truth).
1899

With the painting “The Naked Truth,” Klimt continued his challenge to the public. A naked red-haired woman holds a mirror of truth, above which is a quote from Schiller: “If you cannot please everyone with your deeds and your art, please few. Being liked by many is evil.”
This true woman, two meters tall, expressive and provocative in her nudity, confused and teased the Viennese public.

In 1902, Klimt completed the Beethoven Frieze for the 14th Secession Exhibition. The frieze formed part of the monument to the composer and also contained a monumental painted sculpture by Max Klinger. The frieze was intended for exhibition only and was made directly on the wall using unstable materials. After the exhibition, the frieze was preserved, although it was not exhibited again until 1986.

Beethoven Frieze, detail, Longing for Happiness 1, 1902
Gustav Klimt: Beethoven's Frieze, The Suffering of Humanity

Beethoven's frieze - The search for happiness is reflected in poetry (1902) (216 x 1378) (Vienna, Belvedere Gallery)
Longing for happiness\Chorus of angels of heaven\This kiss to the whole world

Beethoven Frieze - Hostile Forces (full view) (1902) (Vienna, Belvedere Gallery)

Beethoven Frieze, detail, The Hostile Forces - Lust, Gluttony, 1902

Klimt led a fairly simple life, worked in his own home, devoted all his time to painting (including the Secession movement) and family, and was not on friendly terms with other artists. He was famous enough to receive many private orders, and had the opportunity to choose from them what was interesting to him. Like Rodin, Klimt used mythology and allegory to disguise his deeply erotic nature, and his drawings often betray a purely sexual interest in women.

Klimt wrote very little about his vision of art or his methods. He did not keep a diary, and sent postcards to Flöge. In the essay “Commentary on a Non-Existent Self-Portrait,” he states: “I have never painted self-portraits. I am much less interested in myself as a subject of a picture than in other people, especially women... There is nothing special about me. I am an artist who paints day after day from morning to night... Anyone who wants to know anything about me... should carefully examine my paintings.”

GOLDEN PERIOD.

The “golden period” of Klimt’s work was marked by a positive response from critics and was the most successful for Klimt. The name of the period comes from the gilding used in many of the artist's works, beginning with The Palace of Athena (1898) and Judith (1901), but his most famous work from this period is The Kiss (1907-1908).

Golden Knight (1903) (100 x 100) (Japan, Aichi Art Gallery)

LOVE FORMULA.

The painting “The Kiss” is probably Klimt’s most chaste work. The artist, many of whose canvases and drawings are filled with naked female figures depicted in very daring poses, and who more than once shocked his contemporaries with the spicy sensuality of his works, painted a love scene, not only without exposing, but carefully draping the characters.

Kiss
Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
1908, 180x180

He takes his favorite technique - volumetric modeling of open parts of the body on a flat ornamental background - to the extreme in “The Kiss”: two heads, male and female hands, a woman’s feet - that’s all that is open to us and, despite the bright richness of the ornamentation, tirelessly catches our eye.

In his compositions (excluding, of course, portraits), Klimt rarely focuses on the face: for him, pose and gesture are more important. So in “The Kiss”: a woman kneeling with her head selflessly thrown back to her shoulder and her eyes closed is the personification of submission and at the same time detachment, almost religious ecstasy.

We don’t see the man’s face, but in the decisive tilt of his head, in the trembling of sensitive fingers touching his girlfriend’s face, the full force of growing passion is felt. The picture is considered autobiographical: most researchers perceive in the woman’s face a resemblance to Klimt’s beloved Emilia Flöge. The painter's romance with Emilia Flöge, a famous fashion designer, lasted 27 years and, despite the many hobbies of the loving Klimt, became the main thing in his life.

Of course, it would be too straightforward to identify the male figure with the author of the painting, but, undoubtedly, the deeply personal experience of the artist fuels this work. The feminine principle is presented in “The Kiss” as soft and sacrificial, which is unusual for Klimt.

Both figures are hidden by decorative clothes decorated with spirals, ovals, circles and other geometric shapes, so that the figures hidden under them are not immediately visible. The same manner is typical for portraits of real women. There are many of them, Klimt's women. Charming faces, hairstyles, hands, jewelry, but dresses and backgrounds, like in a magical kaleidoscope, turn into a unique fairy-tale decoration. This is exactly how he saw man, his beauty, weaknesses, fears and passions. And where this was not the case, nature remained.

“The Kiss” can be called a “formula of love”: many metaphors stored in the memory of mankind for centuries found a simple and precise plastic expression in this picture: the golden radiance of happiness, a blooming earth that has become a paradise for lovers, a Universe in which there is no one and nothing except these two, a moment long into eternity... With its chastity and sincerity, the picture immediately won the hearts of the discerning Viennese public.

She also conquered those who had previously reproached Klimt for “morbid eroticism” and “mannerliness.” The fate of “The Kiss” was happy: at the 1908 exhibition the painting was a triumph. The exhibition had not yet closed, but it had already been bought by the Contemporary Gallery (later the Austrian Belvedere Gallery), and since then we have not ceased to admire it.

Portrait of Emilia Flöge (1902) (181 x 84) Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum

Emilia Flöge was Klimt's great love and his companion until the end of his days. She managed a fashion house, and he came up with sketches of fabrics and dresses for her. His designs look as if they were cut from the designs of his paintings.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, 1907

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907.
The painting is also known as the “Golden Adele” or the “Austrian Mona Lisa.” In 2006, American entrepreneur and president of the Solomon Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art in New York, Ronald S. Lauder, purchased it for $135,000,000

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Detail with an Art Nouveau frame of the artist Patrick Hagen
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, detail with Art Nouveau frame by artist Patrick Hagen

Images of strong female rulers (“Pallada Athena”, 1898, “The Naked Truth”, 1899) and fatal beauties, suppressing and destroying a man (“Judith I”, 1901, “Salome” or “Judith II”, 1909) are much more common found in his works. In “The Kiss” the masculine and feminine principles do not fight, but are reconciled, merging into one
One of the most popular ideas of the fin de siècle (end of the century) was the dominance of women over men. The theme of the “battle of the sexes” permeated the salons; artists and intellectuals also participated in the discussion.

Athena-Pallas (1898) (75 x 75)
Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum

Pallas Athena was the first image in his gallery of “superwomen”: with her armor and weapons, Athena is confident of victory, she subjugates a man, and perhaps the entire male sex. Some elements appearing in this painting will be fundamental in Klimt's future work: for example, the use of gold and the transformation of the body into an ornament, and the ornament into a body. Klimt continued to work with external form, in contrast to the younger generation of Expressionists, who sought immediate insight into the soul. Klimt's visual language took both male and female symbols from the world of Freudian dreams. The sensual, eroticized ornament reflects one of the sides of Klimt’s ideas about the world.

Judith 1 (1901) (84 x 42)
Vienna, Belvedere Gallery

Judith 1 (1901) (84 x 42) (Vienna, Belvedere Gallery)_fragment

Judith 2 (1909) (Venice, Gallery of Modern Art)

Judith I and, eight years later, Judith II are the next incarnations of Klimt's femme fatale archetype. His Judith is not a biblical heroine, but rather a resident of Vienna, his contemporary, as evidenced by her fashionable, perhaps expensive necklace. According to the publications of Bertha Zuckerkandl, Klimt created the type of vamp woman long before Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, who personified him, appeared on the silver screen. Proud and free, but at the same time mysterious and enchanting, the femme fatale values herself higher than the male spectator.

Hope 1 (1903)
Ottawa, National Museum

Nadezhda II, 1907-08

Three ages of a woman (1905) (National Gallery of Contemporary Art)

Tree of Life (Stoclet Frieze)
MAK, Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna
1905-09

Waiting / Tree of Life / Accomplishment
MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna
1905-09

Stoclet Frieze - The Embrace, 1909

Virgin (1912-1913)
Prague, National museum

Portrait of Eugenia Primavesi (c.1912) (149.9 x 110.5) (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Most of Gustav Klimt's paintings look like an intricate mosaic or collage... as if the artist poured colored pieces of paper, ribbons, shreds, fragments of old vases, knitted circles and squares onto the table and began to mix... but with a genius hand... And suddenly he stopped... the fragments of the mosaic froze, somehow joining each other... and suddenly some beautiful woman emerged from them...
In no other work has the artist brought female sexuality to such hypertrophy - this is self-absorbed lust.

Girlfriends (1916-1917) (99 x 99) (the painting was in the National Museum of Prague, destroyed in a fire in 1945)

Gustav Klimt: Love

Goldfish (1901-1902)
(Vienna, private collection)

Klimt did not allow himself to be intimidated by harsh criticism and continued to follow his own path. His only response to the militant opposition was a painting that was first called My Critics, and after the exhibition - Goldfish. Public anger reached its climax: the beautiful naughty nymph in the foreground exposed her butt for everyone to see! Marine figures beckon the viewer into a world of sexual fantasies and associations comparable to the world of Freudian symbols. This world had already been glimpsed in The Current and Nymphs (Silver Fish) and would be revealed again a few years later in Water Snakes I and Water Snakes II. Art Nouveau loved to depict the underwater kingdom, where dark and light algae grow on Venus mollusks or a delicate tropical coral body shimmers in the center of a bivalve shell. The meaning of the symbols returns us to their undoubted prototype - the woman. In these underwater dreams, the algae becomes hair growing on the head and pubic area. They follow the flow in the undulating movement so characteristic of Modernity. With languid resistance they yield to the embrace of the sea elements, just as Danae is open to Zeus, penetrating into her in the form of a golden shower.

Gustav Klimt: 1895 Music I

Schubert at the Piano, 1899
Gustav Klimt: Schubert at the piano

The painting with Schubert shows the composer at home, surrounded by music, which is the highest aesthetic point of safety and the right way of life. The stage is illuminated by the warm light of the candelabra, which softens the outlines of the figures so that they dissolve in festive harmony... Klimt uses impressionist techniques to place his historical reconstruction in an atmosphere of nostalgic memory. He presents us with a sweet dream, bright but disembodied - a dream of innocent, pleasurable art in the service of a carefree society.

Gustav Klimt. Photo from 1914

Gustav Klimt: “My self-portraits do not exist. I am not interested in my own person as an object for depiction. I prefer other people, especially women, and, moreover, other forms of existence...”

Early works

Schubert at the clavier. 1896 Oil, canvas. 150200 cm. Lost in 1945

The musician's face is conveyed with extraordinary photographic accuracy. Behind it is the inscription Anno Domini and the date of creation of the work, written in Roman numerals - MDCCCLXXXX. The master borrowed this technique from the artists of the Middle Ages.
The painting is placed in a wide copper frame made by Gustav's older brother. Using the embossing method, a stylized antique design is applied to it, in which there is also an image of a lyre - with its help, the master hints at the profession of the person depicted.
"Vienna Secession"

The period from 1891 to 1898 is a transitional period in Klimt's life. Ernest's father and younger brother died in 1892. Over time, the painter comes to a symbolic-erotic interpretation of images and the choice of allegorical subjects, changing the color palette.
Their motto was the words of Ludwig Hevesy, placed above the entrance to the Secession House: “Time has its art, art has its freedom.”
Klimt boldly experimented, searched for his own style, without fear of criticism and the sidelong glances of his contemporaries. In his works of this period one can see features of both symbolism and impressionism.
In 1898, the first exhibition of the Secession was held, where Klimt presented to the public “Pallas Athena” - a painting that received the nickname “demon of the Secession” and subsequently became a symbol of the new unification. To create this work, the artist used gold for the first time.

Athena is the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, justice and art. In Klimt, she is a superwoman, confident in herself and in her victory, in armor and with a weapon in her hands. On Athena’s breastplate is the head of the Gorgon, which sticks out its tongue to all critics of the secession, behind her is an image of the battle of Hercules with the Lernaean Hydra.
As for the execution technique and motifs, this work reflected the future preferences of the master as a portrait artist.

Hall of the old palace theater in Vienna. 1888 Gouache, paper. 91.2103 cm. Vienna Museum on Karlsplatz (Vienna, Austria)

"Arts, choir of angels of heaven." The figures in this part of the fresco mean joy and God's sparks.
Klimt created the frieze in such a way that the work became the property of the state. In the 1950s, August's son Erich, who emigrated to Switzerland, received part of the collection back, including the Beethoven Frieze, but was unable to take it out of Austria. Frequent transportation and improper storage took their toll: the work urgently needed to be restored. The Austrian government, after long negotiations, bought the masterpiece.

Until 1985, the frieze was not exhibited anywhere. Since 1986 it has been located in the Secession House. Only almost 20 years later the work was restored and put on public display in the British Tate Gallery (Liverpool).
By this time, the friends completely disagreed about work, so their duet broke up. However, it was this year that became a turning point, a landmark in Klimt’s creative biography. To decorate the university, he created three monumental panels: “Philosophy”, “Medicine” and “Jurisprudence”, which became the cause of the scandal that erupted around the artist and his work.
Klimt chose his own path, different from the usual academicism. Instead of depicting the triumph of the sciences in a traditional manner, the master showed the respectable Viennese public the “real” face of each discipline:
“Philosophy” - a naked girl who leads the people to nowhere (written in dark blue);
“Medicine” soullessly turns away from the crowd of the sick and dying, she looks more like a priestess who is ready to sacrifice a person rather than cure him (done in red, into which the image of death is woven with a blue train);
“Jurisprudence” in the person of the three furies mercilessly attacks the human victim (for this panel the master chose a thick black color).
Later, Klimt formulated the meaning of “Jurisprudence” as follows: “The figure group on the left is the awakening of life, fruitful being, disappearance.
The composition of all three works is asymmetrical: human bodies in them are contrasted with the voids of the background.
The panels caused a surge of negative criticism: respected professors considered them pornographic. It was in these works that for the first time the eroticism characteristic of the artist’s work was so clearly manifested.

The work “Goldfish” (the original title was “To My Critics”) was written in response to the acute negative assessment of the faculty’s paintings. The candid angle of the red-haired beast in the foreground speaks for itself. Such courage and freedom of judgment required complete financial independence. And Klimt found a great way to enlist the support of influential people in Vienna. He began to paint portraits of their wives!
Women's images

Now Klimt did not care about public opinion or fashion. He could afford to write what he liked, and the way he wanted. Having become the leader of the Vienna Secession, the artist began to boldly experiment.
Early ones include portraits of Klimt's sister Clara and niece Helena.

Dining room at Stoclet Palace (Brussels). General view of the mosaic

Early portraits

Helena Klimt is the six-year-old niece of the artist, who became her guardian after the death of her brother Ernest. Growing up, Helena began working at the Flöge sisters' fashion house and eventually (after her mother's death) became its co-owner.
Pageboy haircut, eyebrow-length bangs, narrow face stripe. The light dress and background contrast with the dark brown hair. Like other early works by Klimt, this portrait is half-length.
Some portraits of this period left secret the names of the models who posed for the artist. These include, for example, the stranger depicted in the painting “Lady in a Hat Made of a Boa and Feathers.”

For an artist, what is often important is not so much who he depicted on his canvases, but the very opportunity to admire wonderful female images. All of them are written in a unique Klimtian style, based on a mixture of impressionism, ornamental art and symbolism. Later images are completely different.

in the garden, which is not typical for other portraits where the figures are painted in the interior.
In 1899, commissioned by August Lederer, Klimt painted a portrait of his wife Serena. The canvas format is elongated vertically, and the standing figure occupies almost all the free space. The background gives no idea where the model is: she seems to be outside of time and space.

The Vienna Secession could carry out its activities only with good sponsorship.
The works created by the artist between 1898 and 1903 have features of both symbolism and impressionism.
This is the first work that Klimt painted in a new manner: a typical classical, rather than psychological, portrait of a woman (it is not intended to show the depth of the model’s inner world, her experiences).
The artist gave Sonya a dreamy expression on her face. But at the same time, she is characterized by some arrogance, indifference and aloofness. Compositionally, the painting can be divided diagonally into two parts: Klimt contrasts dark and light, background and foreground, emptiness and fullness. On the one hand, Frau Knieps is realistic and lively, on the other hand, she is inaccessible and distant. She holds onto the armrest with her left hand, as if she wants to stand up. Model shown
An expressive face framed by dark hair and thick black eyebrows stand out against a pastel background. Realism in the depiction of the face and hands is combined with the airiness of the clothes: the dress flows along the heroine’s legs - it seems that she is “born” from sea foam. The effect is enhanced by the fact that there is practically no free space in the foreground of the picture: Serena does not seem to be standing on the ground.
Ermine Gallia, née Hamburger (1870-1936). In 1893, she married her uncle, Moritz Gallia, a government adviser who was one of the most generous philanthropists of the time.
It is noteworthy that the woman is depicted in a dress that Gustav Klimt himself designed. Unfortunately, it is impossible to see the true colors used by the master, since the pigments (one of the paint components) of this painting have undergone significant changes over time.
This is one of the characteristic features of the portraits of this period: Klimt cuts off the lower edge of the figure: the model’s dress goes beyond the frame, the legs are not visible, which creates the impression of the heroine floating. This effect is enhanced by contrast: in the portrait of Serena there is a white dress and dark hair, in the portrait of Maria Henneberg there is a light dress, dark hair and a bouquet of violets.
In 1905, Klimt painted a portrait of Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein - one of the most interesting female images. This modern and educated girl belonged to the Viennese elite. The portrait was ordered by my father as a wedding day gift. The bride of the famous American doctor Thomas Stonborough, in a white dress against a light background, looks dreamily into the distance. It is known that she was not very pleased with the artist’s work.

The artist knew how to please husbands: he painted their wives with a serene and dreamy expression on their faces, giving them feigned indifference, arrogance, and detachment from the world.
Vienna loved just such a Klimt. At the end of the century, the minds of the intelligentsia were occupied by the theme of the struggle of the sexes, the dominance of women over men. Discussions on this issue continued in salons, and various opinions were expressed. The rich and fastidious public was satisfied with the artist’s works; patrons from high society did not refuse sponsorship for the secession.
The relationship between Ernest and Helena developed rapidly and culminated in a wedding. But Gustav and Emilia never got married, although they remained close throughout their lives.

A sweet 13-year-old girl was brought to Klimt by her father, cabinetmaker Hermann Flöge (who eventually became rich and became the first manufacturer of smoking pipes in the entire empire). Seeing his daughter’s ability to draw, he decided to send her to study with an artist. Emilia did not take up painting professionally, but the lessons were nevertheless not in vain. All the Flöge sisters were excellent sewers. The eldest Polina opened a school for seamstresses. Emilia also studied there for some time.

Around the same time, the master painted two portraits of the young beauty. Much later, familiar features will appear in other works of the master, but for now...
There were simply no other men besides Klimt in Emilia’s life. When the girl realized that it was pointless to hope for a family life with her loved one, she turned for advice to the then famous professional psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud.
Heeding the advice, Emilia, together with Helena, opened a fashion house, which appealed to the taste of the bourgeois public. The young woman became independent, financially secure and was able to “cure” from her pathological love for the maestro. However, the relationship did not fade away, it simply became different: calmer, more friendly. The artist called Emilia his best friend, appreciated her advice and enjoyed spending time with her. Sometimes they appeared together at social events.

Portrait of Emilia Flöge at 17 years old. 1891

Klimt chose a narrow vertical format and depicted Emilia in full height. The heroine’s pose also conveys determination and confidence: her left hand rests on her hip, her head is raised proudly, her open gaze is fixed on the viewer.
The artist “dressed” the girl in a dress unusual for that time, invented by him: the forest and field seemed to have woven a carpet and wrapped the slender figure in their ornamental train.
The public took this portrait as a challenge. At that time, dresses with numerous ruffles and frills were in fashion, but here it is! Even the artist’s mother expressed dissatisfaction with the too deep neckline, which, in her opinion, went beyond the bounds of decency.
Klimt and Flöge were together for 27 years. Despite numerous women, in the most difficult moments of the master’s life (the death of his father, brother, mother), only Emilia was nearby. She was with him until the end.
The 1907 portrait shows 26-year-old Adele sitting in a chair. The figure occupies the entire right side of the canvas and appears to be cut off at the top.
The entire lower third of the canvas is occupied by the hem of the model’s dress. Adele, like Emilia, looks at the viewer. Hands clasped in front of the chest. Cold tones and a realistic image of the face and hands contrast with the warm golden elements of the composition and stand out against the background of the ornaments. Black hair and disproportionately large red lips further attract the eye to the face of the lady depicted in such an unusual manner.
Adele is wearing a tight dress and a shawl. Everything is dotted with Klimt’s favorite motifs: spirals, the “all-seeing eye” inscribed in a triangle, squares, rectangles. It's hard to guess where the chair is in this kaleidoscope of patterns. There are no shadows, no depth of space, the image is flat, ornamental.
Austria lost its calling card in 2006. Heiress (daughter of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer's brother) Maria Altman sold the Golden Adele to Ronald Lauder for a record $135 million. However, this was preceded by a protracted seven-year trial to return her family valuables (including the portrait of Bloch-Bauer) lost during the war.

The Austrian government tried to save the national treasure: negotiations were held with banks about borrowing money to buy the painting from Altman, and the population collected donations. However, all efforts were in vain: the amount of 300 million dollars (that’s how much five Klimt paintings were valued at) turned out to be too much.

This caused a real “artistic” disaster in Klimt’s homeland. It is difficult to imagine the Belvedere without the “Golden Adele”, because it is a reproduction of this painting that adorns the covers of all Austrian guidebooks. Herbert Frodi (director of the gallery) called the incident “an immeasurable loss for the museum collection and for the cultural space of Austria as a whole.” Millions of Austrians lost their icon. Now the painting is in the New Gallery in New York (its owner is the American entrepreneur Ronald Lauder).
However, this portrait of Adele is not the only one.
A black-haired beauty in a huge hat is depicted in the center from the front, she looks over the viewer somewhere into the distance. The background is divided into large planes, ornamentally organized in the spirit of Klimt based on oriental fabrics. The colors are delicate and rich.

Love. 1895 Oil, canvas. 62.546.5 cm. Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna, Austria)

At this time, the artist began to deviate a little from the usual abundance of gold. In this portrait, as in other works of that time, the figure stands confidently on his feet, there is no longer that illusion of flight and soaring that was created by the cropped dress extending beyond the frame. The influence of Matisse is felt.
The second portrait of Adele also left her native Austria: in 2006 it was sold for $88 million to a private collection.
There are other, earlier works for which Adele Bloch-Bauer was the model. She can be easily recognized in Judith I, as well as in Judith II.

"Golden period"
Since 1903, Klimt traveled a lot: he visited Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Madrid, Rome, Brussels. After this, the “golden period” of his work begins: the artist borrowed a new technique from Italian masters. Gilding, relief images of ornaments, decorativeness - these are the characteristic features of the works of this time.
Fritz Ridler's 1906 portrait shows golden background surfaces that could be either walls or floors. The artist easily combines schematic, sketchy images and precise elaboration of details. Fritz is sitting in a chair, the ornament of which is made of peacock eyes. As in other female portraits, her image combines tenderness and humility with hidden eroticism and passion.
Ridler's portrait is reminiscent of Diego Velazquez's depiction of the Infanta Maria Teresa. Behind Fritz's head is a semicircle of rectangular ornamental elements, very similar to the hairstyles worn during the time of the Infanta.
This work was of no small importance in Klimt’s further work. It was here that closed areas of the background covered with gold were first encountered, and a tendency towards geometrization emerged, which manifested itself in full force in the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (1907).
Women's portraits of the "golden period", painted since 1903, are united by a single stylistic solution. All the models seem to have disappeared into the golden ornament, the figures have lost their outlines - they seem to “float” in Klimt’s fictional world.
One of the iconic paintings of this period is a kind of hymn to love - “The Kiss”.

Klimt claimed that he never painted self-portraits, but Gilles Néré is sure that in the painting “The Kiss” he nevertheless depicted himself and Emilia Flöge. In the image of the heroine, similar features of Emilia, Adele Bloch-Bauer, and the red-haired model Hilda Roth are captured. In the face of the girl on this canvas, the artist created a collective image of a woman.
He is an adult mature man, she is young and blooming. Desire, passion, tension. They are on the edge, on the edge of a cliff. Alone in the Universe. A man and a woman have merged into one, ready to dissolve in each other, an all-consuming happiness has taken possession of their bodies and minds.
The aura of the canvas is mesmerizing: it is impossible to take your eyes off it. Everyone sees something different in the picture: passion, tenderness, humility, or even coercion and submission.
The abundance of gold is also impressive. Most of the surface of the canvas shines: the clothes of the characters, the stems of plants, and drops in the background. This probably also affected the high appreciation of the work, because the precious metal has always been associated with mysticism and was considered a sign of material wealth and significance.
It’s not for nothing that this painting is called the “golden icon of Art Nouveau.”
Despite the fact that “The Kiss” was written only a year later than “The Golden Adele,” some changes in the technique of depicting figures are clearly visible in it. Only at first glance the pictures are very similar. So, for example, Adele is placed on the right side of the canvas and is organically included in the background pattern: her clothes, breaking up into an infinite number of squares, circles and triangles, become an integral part of it.
But in “The Kiss” the master acted completely differently: the male and female figures are located in the center of the canvas and isolated from the general neutral background. In addition, the boundaries of the flower meadow in which the artist placed the couple merging in an embrace are extremely clearly marked. Another significant difference in the paintings is the manner in which the women’s faces are depicted.
After the Viennese expressed their admiration for “The Kiss,” Klimt allowed himself a more frank plot: in “Danae” female sexuality reaches its apogee. According to legend, the king of Argos Acrisius, having learned that he would be killed by his own grandson, imprisoned his daughter Danae in a copper tower and assigned a maid to her. He hoped that in this way he had reliably hidden her from men. However, despite such precautions, Danae was still destined to become the mother of Perseus: captivated by the beauty of the girl, Zeus penetrated her in the form of golden rain.
Without any hesitation, Klimt painted the heroine at the moment of love ecstasy. This subject was used by many masters, such as Mabuse (1527), Titian (1545-1546, 1553-1554), Tintoretto (1580) and Rembrandt (1636-1647). However, none of them depicted Danae in such a revealing pose.
And again there are no distracting details in the picture. Distorted perspective, choice of an unusual angle, gold ornate ornament - all this is designed to show the natural feminine beauty. Danae's body is a kind of ornamental cipher. The viewer seems to be present at a very intimate act, but at the same time is at a distance.

Gustav Klimt with Emilie Flöge in the garden of the Villa Oleander near Attersee

For a long time, art historians did not pay due attention to the images of the circles that decorate the bedspread on the right side of the canvas. Only several decades later did biologists identify them as blastocyst vesicles (an early stage of mammalian embryonic development). Probably, Klimt gained such knowledge from scientific lectures that Bertha Zuckerkandl’s husband gave in his house (he was a famous Hungarian-Austrian anatomist).

It is interesting that “Danae” is the first allegorical painting for which the artist abandoned the elongated vertical format, preferring a square. At the bottom left of the canvas you can find a small black rectangle - a symbol of masculinity (its image is also found in other works of the master, for example in “The Kiss”, where the black and white rectangles on the man’s cloak sharply contrast with the circles on the clothes of his beloved, and are contrasted with them) .
In 1909, Klimt went to Paris, where he discovered Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, became acquainted with the works of Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso, as well as the leader of the Fauvism movement, Henri Matisse. His works subsequently had a great influence on the work of the Austrian “master of the golden brush” (this is clearly visible in the painting “Virgin”, where yellow, green, red, blue and violet colors become a kind of symbol of life conquering the serenity of sleep).

Stoclet's heirs have not yet decided what to do with the building, so, unfortunately, the entrance inside is closed to tourists; no one has lived in the palace for many years.

Klimt's last monumental work is the frieze for the dining room in the Brussels palace. The artist created sketches of the mosaic panel, and Leopold Forstner carried out the work in the material.
The mosaics are located on three walls: two large figured sections are installed opposite each other, with a small decorative insert between them. They are made of various materials: marble, ceramics, gilded tiles and enamel, decorated with pearls and semi-precious stones.

To implement his plan, Hoffman attracted a team of professionals, including Klimt. Captivated by the idea of a “total work of art” and not limited by funds, the architect created something completely new, which had no analogues, but which subsequently gave rise to many imitations.
Landscapes
A separate part of Klimt's legacy is landscapes. He was irresistibly attracted by crystal lakes, high mountains and dense forests. He especially loved the area around Lake Attersee in the north of the region, where he often vacationed with Emilia Flöge. There he painted numerous landscapes.
These are not commissioned works: the master created them in moments of relaxation. Unlike most portraits and decorative paintings, executed on elongated vertical canvases, a square format is chosen for almost all landscapes. According to Klimt, the square is the most stable shape, static and complete.
The peculiarity of these works is that upon closer examination they seem to break up into hundreds and thousands of mosaic fragments. Some researchers of the artist’s work suggest that he first examined what he was going to paint through a telescope.
In the manner of depicting water, the creative influence of the Impressionists can be traced: the transfer of highlights on the water, chiaroscuro and flickering of light, as well as a clear separation of strokes and the use of light shades of paint. This is especially noticeable in the films “Swamp” and “Island on Attersee”.

In these works, the artist paid attention not only to the careful drawing of the water surface, but also to the architectural details of the ancient castle, built in the 13th century.
By the way, the master depicted Kammer and its picturesque surroundings more than once. One of the first works dates back to 1908.
According to researchers of Klimt's work, the influence of Van Gogh is clearly visible in this work: this is the choice of color palette and relief strokes. Almost vertically upward branches symbolize the external orderliness and harmony of nature.
One of the most famous works is considered to be “Malcesine Castle on the Island of Garda” (the artist vacationed there with Emilia in 1913). The central place on the canvas is occupied by the medieval castle of the Scaligers - a powerful defensive structure, around which the town of Malcesine grew over time. Unfortunately, the painting was lost in 1945.
The only surviving work depicting the Garda is “Church in Kassone” (another title is “Landscape with Cypress Trees”). The resort town is painted from a boat. There is no sky on the canvas: the buildings become the compositional center. Most of the picture is occupied by an old church.

Lush crowns of spherical trees and dark cypress trees balance the light buildings.
The fate of the picture was not easy. It originally belonged to Victor and Paula Zuckerkandl.
For several decades, the fate of the painting was unknown, but in 1962 it was exhibited in Austria with the mark “From a private collection.” Following a deal between the unnamed owner of the landscape and its rightful owner, the son of Mathilde Redlich, the Church at Cassone was sold at Sotheby's in 2010 for more than $43 million. This is one of Klimt's most expensive landscapes.

A group of artists who founded the Vienna Secession (Klimt sits on the throne).

It was unusual for Klimt's early landscapes to use dark colors. But later works are written in more saturated colors, which gives them mystery.
“Lake Shore with Birches” dates back to 1901: a sparkling surface of water, the right side of the canvas is crossed by two flexible trunks. This picture is distinguished by an unexpected angle, contrasts of forms, and at the same time unity and complexity of the composition. Thus, the trees on the right are painted from a very close distance, and the opposite bank on the left is depicted in reverse perspective. Elongated birch trees cross a triangular piece of the lake, the shape of which is repeated by the bush reflected in it. Silver-white trunks in the foreground contrast with dark trees in the distance, lush green grass and a scattering of yellow flowers contrast with the blue surface of the lake.
It is interesting that this painting by the famous Austrian became known only recently. In 1902, a couple from the Netherlands purchased it at an exhibition in Düsseldorf.

Klimt (although the artist, as a rule, did not make sketches for landscapes). In addition, a previously unknown photograph from an exhibition held in 1902 at the Secession House was discovered. On one of the walls the “Lake Shore with Birch Trees” is clearly visible.

White-gray trunks with black spots stand out clearly on it. In an absolutely incredible way, with just a few colors, Klimt achieves stunning realism in depicting landscapes.
The top edge of all forest canvases is cut off, so they are covered with repeated tree trunks. This verticality makes them look like woven tapestries (“Pine Forest”, “Beech Grove”, “Birch Forest”).
In “Beech Grove”, most of the canvas is devoted to a motley background - the carpet of fallen leaves has practically no free space, which the artist did not like so much (the exception is “Beech Grove”, where the sky is visible here and there between the trunks at the top). In these works there is not even a hint of the presence of humans or animals, but the depiction of nature is not devoid of life: all landscapes breathe, are sad, and rejoice. Autumn fills them not only with colors, but also with the rustle of fallen leaves and their rotten aroma.
Despite the fact that the artist reproduced what he saw “here and now” (when working on landscapes, he, as a rule, did not even make pencil sketches), these paintings cannot be classified as impressionistic. Unlike representatives of this movement, the “master of the golden brush” was not interested in simple contemplation of landscapes and their reproduction on canvas.
The landscape with the poplar stands out, where the artist conveyed an unusual state of nature: an approaching thunderstorm at dusk. The picture exudes anxiety and mystery. Compositionally, most of the canvas is given to the sky:
bizarrely shaped clouds are gathering over the giant poplar. The silhouette of the tree rising behind the small chapel looks like a tornado that is about to devour everything that gets in its way. In depicting the crown, Klimt uses pointillist techniques: he paints with small strokes, almost dotted.
The same pictorial manner is characteristic of later works, where, in addition, there is also asymmetry, a break in planes and an intense color scheme. Their distinctive feature is a fairly rich color palette and small, fractional strokes. It was thanks to these techniques that the master was able to clearly structure the composition. An exception is the work of 1898 - “Orchard”, where only a few colors were used.

Works with images of flowers (for example, “Flower Garden”, “Field of Poppies”, “Blooming Field”) resemble a motley pattern on chintz fabric: they seem to be made up of repeatedly repeating mosaic pieces.
Unlike the Impressionists, the master was not keen on conveying light and shadow: his floral landscapes are quite schematic, extremely decorative and detailed (this shows the typical influence of the East in Art Nouveau).
"Field of Poppies" is one of Klimt's most deceptive paintings. It is noteworthy that in this work (however, this also applies to “Blooming Field,” written two years later) there is a hint of perspective: the size of poppies and trees becomes smaller as they approach the horizon.
Erotic and naturalistic graphics

Gustav Klimt was an outstanding draftsman. Before starting to create the painting, he made many sketches and sketches.
Many of Klimt's drawings are independent works of art that reveal the secrets of the artist's creative style and his vision of the world. In the paintings, the unbridled sexuality of the models is partially hidden by brightly decorated clothes and background ornaments. But the drawings reveal a completely different Klimt.
A separate part of the legacy left by the master is openly erotic works (some of them are considered by critics to be among Klimt’s best works). In them he shows a woman in the most intimate moments: at the peak of the highest pleasure, at the moment of unbridled passion or serene sleep after lovemaking (for example, these include “Lying on her stomach”, “Reclining Nude”, as well as a preparatory sketch for “Danae” "). The artist admires them and admires them, sharing his emotions with the audience. The women in his drawings are sexually liberated and unusually hypersensual.
Some graphic works are incredibly realistic. These include “Nude II”: with amazing precision, using only black chalk and a white pencil, the master depicts a naked female figure.

Country garden with sunflowers. 1906 Oil, canvas. 110110 cm. Belvedere Gallery (Vienna, Austria)

Last years of life. Later works
The works created by Klimt in the period from 1910-1911 to 1917-1918 can be classified as late. They display features that differ from the previous “golden” stage of creativity: the abundance of gilding disappears, and expression appears in the images, a combination of symbolism and expressionism is observed.
Mysterious and insidious seductresses disappear from the canvases. They are replaced by affectionate and gentle women (“The Lady in the Black Hat”). The figures are stretched out, their contours look more rounded. The artist uses a brighter color palette, brush strokes become freer, and small geometric patterns replace floral motifs in the oriental style.
“Mother with Children” is one of the few late works of the master that contains expressionist features.
Both the mother, the child, and the baby are all depicted with their eyes closed; they seem to be sleeping peacefully. However, in fact, Klimt’s image of sleep was always close to death. The rather dark tones of the picture also hint at this. Although such a choice of colors can also symbolize the plight of the family: poverty, wandering, deprivation.

The painting “Girl” is a unique story of the transformation of a young beauty into a woman. The main character is a young girl. She lies with her eyes dreamily closed and her arms outstretched - innocent and at the same time openly sexy. She is surrounded by half-naked women, more experienced and sophisticated.

The viewer unwittingly becomes a witness to feelings that are just awakening. Klimt depicted a crowd of people, a colorful waterfall of bodies and bright clothes. They merged in bizarre poses, mixed with decorative elements of the background. As always, the bodies are painted realistically, in soft shades of pink, and the fabrics are painted in rough, stylized, bright colors.
The family lived in Moravia, so the master completed the first sketches at a distance. When the sessions began in the studio in Vienna, the girl was allowed to move around the workshop, play with Chinese fabrics, of which there were many around, and throw paper balls out of the window onto the heads of passers-by: she was only nine years old, so she simply could not remain motionless for a long time .

The artist had to create many studies before choosing the final version of the pose: Meda stands upright, her right hand rests on her hip, her gaze is directed directly at the viewer. Her figure in a light dress stands out sharply against the background of a plain purple wall.
In 1913, Klimt painted a portrait of Meda's mother, actress Eugenia Primavesi, against a bright yellow floral background.

Shortly before his death, the artist created a series of wonderful portraits (Baroness Elisabeth Bachofen Echt, Frederica Maria Beer), in which the influence of Japanese art can be traced. It seems that the women are painted against the background of a wall hung with tapestries depicting human figures. The dresses also bear the imprint of oriental traditions.
Elisabeth Bachofen Echt is the daughter of wealthy Jewish industrialist August Lederer. The girl’s fragility is balanced by the triangular ornament on the wall, which protects her like a magic cloak.
Frederica Maria Beer is a wealthy heiress and a keen art connoisseur. It is noteworthy that she was the only woman painted by two of the greatest Austrian artists of that era: Gustav Klimt and his student Egon Schiele, who, by the way, was two years ahead of his teacher.
At first glance, the images of Elisabeth Bachofen Echt and Frederica Maria Beer are quite similar in both technique and manner of execution. But in the portrait of society lady and generous patron Frederica Maria Beer, they are already much larger, their swords and spears cross right behind her back. Because of this contrast between the dynamic battle and the cold-blooded calm of the model, a certain tension is felt in the picture. Some researchers of the master’s work are inclined to believe that one of the reasons for creating such a background was the time of painting, which occurred at the height of the First World War.
The culmination of this period was the “Dancer” - a girl with yellow lilies in her hands. According to one version, this is a modified (or rather, reworked) portrait of Riya Munch II, which the girl’s mother did not like. The peculiarity of this picture lies in the incredible number of flowers: they occupy a significant part of the background, crowded into a lush bouquet on the table. In addition, their stylized images are even present on the heroine’s robe: it seems as if it is strewn with blooming flowers.
Despite this, the dancer’s figure does not dissolve in such an abundance of bright colors.
In 1916, Klimt completed work on the painting “Girlfriends”. Unfortunately, it did not survive (it was lost during a fire in 1945). Absolutely without any embarrassment, the artist talks about lesbian love. The heroines are depicted with incredible warmth, which is emphasized by soft tones, delicate fabrics and fairy-tale birds against a calm, monochromatic background. The long neck of the girl in the foreground and her turbaned head give the work a touch of classical grandeur.

Amalia Zuckerkandl is another Klimt heroine, a close relative of the famous journalist and art critic Bertha Zuckerkandl, with whom the artist had friendly relations. Bertha devoted many of her publications in the press to the work of the innovative master.
The portrait of Amalia remained unfinished: only the head and shoulders were completed. But the luxurious ball gown in which she posed was practically not ready. Its magnificence can only be guessed from a preliminary charcoal drawing.
In the painting “Adam and Eve” a seductive woman with radiant white skin appears again. The skin of a predatory beast at her feet symbolically hints at her true essence. Behind Eva is a man. His figure is much darker and he is depicted with his eyes closed. Klimt used a very similar technique, borrowed from ancient painting, in “The Kiss.” The male figure is introduced almost as a background to show all the charms of the true heroine - a woman.

“The Baby” at first glance resembles just a fragment of a painting, and not an independent work. Klimt painted this painting specifically for an exhibition in Stockholm in 1917. The baby depicted on it is like a king. It doesn’t matter that now he is so tiny (only his head is visible, the rest of the space is occupied by a huge patchwork quilt). He is a king, the whole world is at his feet - Klimt deliberately does not place the baby in the center of the picture, but “lifts” him up almost to the very edge.

Blooming cornfield. 1909 Oil, canvas. 110110 cm. Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, USA)

Three of the artist's later paintings depict a girl named Riya Munch, the daughter of a wealthy Jewish industrialist. In 1911, at the age of 24, she committed suicide due to unhappy love. Mother, Aranka Munch, commissioned Klimt to paint a portrait of a girl. Of the three options, she liked only the last one, which, alas, remained unfinished. She considered the other two unsuccessful. By the way, it is still not known for certain what the second version of the canvas looked like.
The final version is also interesting in the manner of painting: the artist depicts the girl half-turned, with a mysterious, serene smile on her lips. He envelops the heroine with decorative backgrounds in an oriental style. The face and surrounding details are completed, which cannot be said about the dress.
Aranka Munch died tragically in a concentration camp. The third version of the portrait was in her villa, where it was discovered by Gestapo officers. In 1950, the painting was transferred to the Linz Museum, and in 2009 it was returned to the possession of the Munches, who soon sold it for approximately $253 million.
One of Klimt’s last paintings, “The Bride,” remained unfinished. She is full of secrets and mysteries and has a lot in common with “Virgin”. The blue-clad bride, placed in the center of the canvas, is surrounded by her fantasies, perhaps fears and forebodings. Among the figures on the left side of the canvas, one can discern the face of the groom, surrounded by women (probably with whom he had previously had a relationship).
The understatement of the plot creates some tension and ambiguity in the interpretation of what is happening - this is precisely the strength of this picture. It is noteworthy that its incompleteness gives every reason to believe that initially Klimt painted his heroines naked and only then “dressed” them.
In January 1918, Klimt suffered a stroke and fell into a coma, from which he never emerged. The great Austrian died on February 6 at the age of 55 from pneumonia. Many paintings remained unfinished as he worked on several pieces at the same time.
The great Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, and with it a huge layer of culture, the symbol of which was the unusually talented and not fully understood Gustav Klimt.
The innovation of the brilliant Art Nouveau artist was recognized during his lifetime: in 1917, shortly before his death, he became an honorary member of the Vienna and Munich Academies of Fine Arts. Klimt was considered the “Freud of painting,” “the master of the golden brush,” an undeniably talented, original, vibrant and fascinating artist of his time, whose art has not faded with time, like the gold on his canvases.

Gustav Klimt, Austrian artist, founder of Art Nouveau

Pallas Athena. 1898 Oil, canvas. 7575 cm. Vienna Museum on Karlsplatz (Vienna, Austria) Swamp. 1900 Oil, canvas. 8080 cm. Private collection A group of artists who founded the “Vienna Secession” (Klimt sits on the throne).

Most of Gustav Klimt's paintings look like an intricate mosaic or collage... as if the artist poured colored pieces of paper, ribbons, shreds, fragments of old vases, knitted circles and squares onto the table and began to mix... but with a brilliant hand... And suddenly he stopped... the fragments of the mosaic froze, somehow joining each other... and suddenly some beautiful woman emerged from them...

Adam and Eve
Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
1917-18, 173x60

Innocence
Narodni Galerie, Prague
1913

Traveling Greek Theater (fresco)

Bride
Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
1918, 165x191

Altar of Dionysius (fresco)
1884-87. City Theatre, Vienna

Gustav Klimt: Danae

Gustav Klimt: A Fairy Tale

Gustav Klimt: Girlfriends

Gustav Klimt: 1889 Allegorie der Skulptur

Gustav Klimt: Three ages of a woman

Gustav Klimt: Portrait of Emilia Flöge, 1893

Gustav Klimt: Love

Goldfish. 1901 - 1902

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

From Masterweb

08.06.2018 16:00

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:

Ceiling paintings for the University of Vienna.
Mosaic of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels.
Fable (1883).
"Idylls" (1884).
Frescoes in the “Burgtheater” in Vienna (1886 – 1888).
"Allegory of Sculpture" (1889).
Portrait of Joseph Pembauer, pianist and teacher (1890).
“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:

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

In 1905, Klimt exhibited fifteen works at the newly opened Berlin Secession at the annual Deutscher Künstlerbund exhibition and received the Villa Romana Prize.
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.
In 1908 he exhibited in Florence, then in Prague and Dresden.
In 1909 he went to Munich, Paris, Madrid and Toledo.
In 1910, at the IX Venice Biennale, his works were received with unprecedented enthusiasm.
1911 - exhibition in Rome (first prize for the painting “Death and Life”)
1912 - Dresden again.
1913 - Budapest, Munich and Mannheim
In 1914, Klimt exhibited with the Austrian Artists Association in Rome and visited Brussels.
In 1916, together with Schiele and Kokoschka, he participated in the Federal Exhibition in Berlin.
In 1912, Klimt became president of the Federation of Austrian Artists.

The last creative stage

From 1900 to 1916, Klimt stayed 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:

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.
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.
Bauerngarten (Blumengarten) 1903, went to auction for $33,056 million.
Apfelbaum I (1912) sold for $40.336 million.
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.

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