Gustav Klimt Biography
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was
one of the most innovative and controversial artists of the early twentieth century. The son of an engraver, he studied at the State School of
Applied Arts in Vienna. In the 1880s and 1890s he produced murals for public buildings -- including Vienna's Burgtheater and new Kunsthistorisches
Museum (Art History Museum) -- in the prevailing classical-realist style. Klimt's style grew increasingly experimental, however, and his murals for
Vienna University, commissioned by the State in 1894, were roundly attacked by critics for their fantastical imagery and their bold, decorative
style. Partly in response to this reaction, in 1897 Klimt helped form the Secession, a group of artists dedicated to challenging the conservative
Academy of Fine Arts. Influenced by European avant-garde movements represented in the annual Secession exhibitions, Klimt's mature style combined
richly decorative surface patterning with complex symbolism and allegory, often with overtly erotic content.
After 1900 he concentrated on portraits and landscapes, although he also produced two of his greatest murals during this period -- The Beethoven
Frieze, exhibited at the Secession in 1902, and decorations for the Palais Stoclet in Brussels (1904-1911). Klimt spent most of his summers on the
Attersee, near Salzburg, where he drew inspiration for many of his landscapes, and where he painted some of his best-known works, including The
Kiss of 1907-8.
Early Years
Gustav Klimt was born as the son of a gold and silver engraver in a suburb of Vienna. He had a formal art training at the Vienna School of
Decorative Arts. In 1882, Klimt opened a studio of his own with his brother Ernst and Franz Matsch, a fellow student. They specialized on executing
mural paintings. They were quite successful from the beginning and received commissions from theaters, museums and other public and semi-public
institutions.
The Founder of the Vienna Secession
In 1897 Gustav Klimt founded with other artists the Vienna Secession and became its first president. By that time Klimt had developed his own and
characteristic style, which should became the trademark of the movement. Like impressionism, art nouveau was an International revolt against the
traditional academic art style.
The Kiss
Gustav Klimt's style is highly ornamental. The Art Nouveau movement favored organic lines and contours. Klimt used a lot of gold and silver colors
in his art work - certainly an heritage from his father's profession as a gold and silver engraver.
Klimt's works of art were a scandal at his time because of the display of nudity and the subtle sexuality and eroticism. His best know painting The
Kiss, was first exhibited in 1908. As everything coming out of Klimt's hands, it was highly controversial and admired at the same time.
The artist created few paintings on traditional canvas. He saw himself more as a mural painter and decorative artist. He designed posters and
worked as an illustrator for magazines - best known Ver Sacrum (The Rite of Spring). Ver Sacrum was more than a magazine. It was a building where
artists could exhibit their works and publish their ideas in the magazine. Ver Sacrum was published from 1898 to 1903.
From 1900 to 1903 Gustav Klimt worked on commissions by the Vienna University for a series of ceiling murals. For his mural works Klimt used a wide
variety of media - metal, glass and ceramics.
The Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph II disliked Klimt's art work and the Secessionists deeply. His drivers had orders not to pass any buildings
showing Secessionist art.
The Split form the Secessionists
In 1905 Gustav Klimt left the Vienna Secession after quarrels and disagreements with another member, Josef Hofmann. Klimt continued his path. He
went into design works for fashion and jewelry. His understanding of art as something that should not be confined to art academies, studios and
canvases was similar to Alphonse Mucha's activities. The very idea itself was again revitalized with the Pop Art Movement in the sixties and
seventies.
You can order Any Gustav Klimt painting in diffrent sizes. All our paintings are totally hand made on white canvas. It
will be ready in about 14 days and we will ship it to you via UPS. You can order any reproduction of any artist in any size. If you do not find your favourite Painting,
click
here and follow the instructions. Please visit our Guestbook to read what other customers think about our service and product. Our painters are
the most talented reproduction artists and we are so confident you will like your painting that we give a 100% money back guarantee.
Click Here to get back to Gustav Klimt biography and main menu. To go to our main home page
click here.
