Gustav Klimt: A Boy Destined for Art
Born into a family of seven children, Klimt was exposed to artistic activities from an early age. His father, Ernst Klimt, was a gold engraver and metalworker, while his mother, Anna Finster, was an opera singer. As a young man, Klimt pursued art studies in Vienna. Once he became a recognized painter, he never stopped rethinking and reinventing art, drawing inspiration from French and German Impressionists and Symbolists.
A Multifaceted Artist Beyond Just Painting
For ten years, Gustav Klimt worked as a decorative painter, taking on academic-style commissions. Later, he shifted his focus to modernist canvases, becoming a key figure in Symbolism. He also painted landscapes and figures influenced by Impressionism. Beyond painting, Klimt was also a decorator, illustrator, lithographer, ceramicist, and a designer of tapestries and mosaics—a prolific and unclassifiable artist!
A Lifelong Bachelor but a Prolific Lover
Klimt lived with his mother and sisters until his death, yet he had numerous affairs, sometimes with the wives of his patrons. Many of these relationships were fleeting or intermittent, but they resulted in the birth of 14 illegitimate children. Despite his many romances, Klimt never married, devoting himself entirely to his artistic pursuits.
Emilie Flöge: His Muse and Significant Companion
At 40 years old, Klimt met Emilie Flöge, a striking and modern young woman of Jewish descent, 23 years old at the time. She ran a fashion house, and Klimt was captivated by her elegance and innovative spirit. She became his secret and discreet companion, inspiring many of his paintings—including his most famous work, The Kiss. Emilie remained his indispensable muse, his lover, and his lifelong friend.
The Scandal of Philosophy, Medicine, and Jurisprudence
These three works were commissioned by the University of Vienna to adorn the vaulted ceiling of its entrance hall. In 1900, Klimt presented Philosophy, depicting an enigmatic sphinx-like figure with blurred contours, symbolizing the different stages of life—from birth to death, including love. Medicine portrays a powerful femme fatale surrendering to pain, while Jurisprudence features a tormented criminal, consumed by his demons, before an impassive justice system. These paintings sparked an outcry, shocking audiences with their overt sensuality and provocative modernism.
Works Destroyed by the Nazis
The three paintings—Philosophy, Medicine, and Jurisprudence—were destroyed by the Nazis in 1945. At Immendorf Castle, where several of Klimt’s paintings were stored, Nazi forces chose to burn them rather than let them fall into Soviet hands. During this turbulent period, other Klimt masterpieces, including Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, were stolen from Jewish owners, leading to modern-day legal battles between museums and the heirs fighting for restitution.
Danaë: A Sensual and Intimate Figure
At the end of his Golden Period, Klimt shifted towards softer, more intimate works, moving away from overt provocation. Yet, his female figures remained voluptuous and unsettling in their exposed nudity. His oil painting Danaë is a prime example, depicting the mythological Danaë, who, in Greek mythology, was impregnated by Zeus in the form of a golden rain. The artwork simultaneously evokes the innocence of the curled-up figure in a fetal position and the latent eroticism suggested by her pose and the prominent display of her bare body.
Erotic Posing Sessions
Women take center stage in Klimt’s work, transformed into golden, dreamlike beings. However, sensuality is a defining characteristic of many of his paintings. His models, often Viennese high-society women, posed nude in his private studio, adopting highly erotic postures at his request. Later, Klimt would “dress” them in ornamental motifs and shimmering colors on his canvases. These scandal-tinged posing sessions only added to his mystique and notoriety.
A Career of Ups and Downs
Gustav Klimt experienced both fame and rejection for over a decade. In 1910, he participated in the Venice Biennale, which helped him regain recognition. He reclaimed his status as one of the greatest “Fin-de-Siècle” decorative artists, solidifying his place as a leading figure in Austrian painting.
A Painter Passionate About Women and Fellow Artists
Living surrounded by his cats and lovers, Gustav Klimt spent his life portraying modern, mythical, and fatal women—both real and imagined. He was deeply influenced by many artists of his time, including Rodin, Klinger, Hodler, Monet, Seurat, Matisse, and Van Gogh.
His work absorbed these influences yet remained uniquely his own, characterized by contrasts and juxtapositions—the blending of stylization with naturalism, and figuration with allegory. From academic-style decorations to modern symbolist canvases, and even impressionist-inspired landscapes and portraits, Klimt’s art encapsulated the artistic evolution of his era.