"Art is a line around your thoughts."
Early life
Born on July 14, 1862, in the quiet village of Baumgarten near Vienna, Gustav Klimt, the son of a gold engraver, emerged from modest beginnings as one of seven children in this working-class family. Under his parent’s nurturing embrace, Klimt’s innate artistic talents were recognised and blossomed, and he went on to study at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts at just 14 years old. There, with the guidance of skilled mentors, he honed his craft and explored the bounds of creativity that would future define his career.
His early work embraced the academic realism of his training, and he found success as a decorative painter alongside his brother Ernst and friend Franz Matsch, forming the Artists Company around 1880. Together, they adorned theaters and public spaces with captivating murals, breathing life into these communal spaces.
Sadly, the trajectory of Klimt’s artistic career took a profound turn following the heartbreaking losses of his father and brother. These personal tragedies became catalysts for a transformative shift in his style, propelling him towards the style of artistry that we now know and love.
The Vienna Secession
During the transformative era of the 1890s, a wave of young artists and creatives in Vienna yearned to liberate themselves from the confines of the conservative art establishment. Amongst these pioneering souls was Gustav Klimt, who played a pivotal role in shaping the artistic landscape of the time. In 1897, he took a bold step forward by becoming a founding member of the Vienna Secession, a radical movement determined to forge a new artistic path in the city.
As the president of the 50 member Secession, Klimt stood at the forefront of the artistic revolution, championing a more experimental and expressive approach to his craft. A distinctive style emerged, adorned with opulent ornamentation, intricate patterns, and a profound exploration of sensuality. Drawing inspiration from the Art Nouveau, Symbolist, and Arts and Crafts movements, Klimt’s works exuded a hypnotic allure, captivating the imagination of his peers.
By 1905 the Vienna Secession, once a unified force for artistic progress, experienced a significant rift within its ranks. Two factions emerged: one advocating for the primacy of painters and the traditional fine arts, while the other, supported by Klimt, championing equal recognition for the decorative arts. The divide reached a critical juncture in 1905 when Carl Moll, a prominent painter within the group, proposed the Secession’s acquisition of the Gallery Miethke as a dedicated platform for its works.
Klimt, along with Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and other like-minded creatives, supported Moll’s proposition. A vote was cast among the members, and Klimt’s faction suffered a narrow defeat by a single vote. The outcome of this pivotal decision marked a turning point. On June 14, 1905, Klimt, Hoffmann, Moser, and their fellow artists made the difficult decision to resign from the Vienna Secession, severing ties with an organisation they had once helped shape and propel forward.
This departure was not merely a resignation from a collective but a symbolic act of defiance, representing the artists’ unwavering commitment to their artistic vision and principles. Klimt and his allies were determined to forge their own path, free from the constraints and compromises that had hindered their artistic aspirations within the Secession.
Klimt’s Golden Phase
The turn of the century brought Klimt’s most noted period: his Golden Phase, a period that would come to define his artistic legacy. Within this phase, he produced some of his most elaborate and intricate works, including “Judith and the Head of Holofernes” (1901) and “The Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” (1907).
Klimt’s adept use of gold leaf, a technique passed down from his father, became a hallmark of his artistry, imbuing his paintings with a mesmerising and ethereal quality. The application of gold elevated his works beyond the ordinary, excluding opulence and radiance.
It was in 1907 that Klimt created his magnum opus, “The Kiss”. This iconic masterpiece depicted an intimate and tender moment shared between two lovers, enveloped in a shimmering embrace of gold. The painting’s depiction of eroticism and sensuality transformed “The Kiss” into an enduring symbol of passion and love.
