Tuesday, February 7, 2023
booked.net

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Contributors
    • Disclaimers
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Giving back
    • Mission Statement
    • Past Issues
    • Where to Find
    • Call us at 613-935-3763
  • Advertise With Us!
 
 
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Events
  • Columnists
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

What You Have to Know About Gustav Klimt Artworks

Isabelle Jones by Isabelle Jones
December 17, 2019
in Leisure & Lifestyle
Reading Time: 4 mins read
52
SHARES
275
VIEWS

Gustav Klimt was a one-of-a-kind artist that brought his own personal style to the table even when the opinions of the audience were stacked against him. No matter what anyone was saying about Gustav Klimt art at the time, the artist never broke his stride. But, there are still some interesting facts about his work and life that might give you a new perspective on this art history giant.

You might also like

Fall in love with Montreal

The road to gun ownership

Get Out vs Us vs NOPE – Jordan Peele Movie War

He Didn’t Start On His Own

One of the biggest blessings for any new artist is the support of a family in what they do. Luckily, Klimt had artistic support in spades. With artistic parents and a painter for a brother, art was easily a family passion.

This is interesting because it served not only to encourage him when he was young but to kick off his career. Klimt, his younger brother Ernst, and a friend of theirs named Franz Masch all worked together as a trio called the Company of Artists that catered to the upper class in Vienna. The group was more monetary than creative, though, and they hung up personal style in favor of catering to the historical preferences of their clientele.

The group didn’t go unnoticed either. In 1888, Franz Josef I, the emperor of Austria-Hungary, awarded them the Golden Order of Merit for their work in the Vienna Burgtheater and in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

He Was Considered an Erotic Artist

Klimt was a fan of using women as his subjects in his paintings. Among these paintings, he often chose to leave his subjects nude. This was the case in many of his most famous pieces including Water Serpents, Judith I, Goldfish, and Allegory of Sculpture.

Interestingly, this only represented a fraction of Klimt’s work but it was a hard label to break all the same. Even when he released a much tamer piece known as The Kiss, the label “erotic” came back despite the figures being fully clothed. However, the piece was a much bigger success than its predecessors.

Klimt Stepped Outside of Traditional Mediums

As an artist, Klimt was uniquely limitless and he often displayed this by using unexpected materials in his artwork. His most well-known foray into the unexpected was the period in which he used gold flakes in his work.

This inspiration likely comes from Klimt’s father, Ernst the Elder. Ernst was a gold and metal engraver as well as a talented painter in his own right. His younger brother also worked in gold carving sometimes, tying the concept close to the two men in his life. This close connection and interesting matchup of professions gave the world the gold-tinged masterpieces that Klimt would later produce.

The start of the use of gold in his artwork wasn’t completely unprompted. Klimt had a clear, cataclysmic event in his life when his brother and father died within a year of one another. The effect it had on him personally can be seen in the rapid shift into more symbolic and intricate art.

Klimt and Gesamtkunstwerk

Gesamtkunstwerk was a concept attributed largely to Richard Wagner, a German composer. Translated, the word roughly means “total artwork.” In other words, it was an homage to the intersection of the arts. In particular, the visual arts, performing arts, and architecture were starting to be seen as a coherent group.

While Klimt didn’t found the idea, he did serve as a great example of a Secessionist with an interest in the concept. This was put to work when he created his piece called Beethoven Frieze. The massive artwork was applied directly to the walls in the Secession building and served as part of the 14th Secessionist Exhibition which was a tribute to Beethoven.

A Womanizer, but His Muse Was Not His Mistress

At no point in his life did Klimt settle down or hide his love for women. The affairs he had are practically countless and he fathered at least 14 children throughout his life. Interestingly, the woman that he was around the longest in his life was probably never one of his many mistresses.

Emilie Flöge was the sister of Klimt’s brother’s wife and Klimt often spent time with her and her family. Near the end of his life and career, he painted many landscapes while he spent time with her at Attersee in Austria.

Despite the close nature of their relationship, the evidence that historians have today suggests that it never became intimate. Instead, Klimt and Flöge showed each other a mutual respect and a shared appreciation for one another’s intelligence. Over the years, she has been attributed as the subject of many of Klimt’s masterpieces including The Kiss but it’s hard to be sure.

Conclusion

Gustav Klimt became a huge name in art for a reason. He had a blend of talent, passion, and drive that propelled him to the top. This was even true in his lifetime where more conservative minds tried to silence his art and his passion is still tangible just by looking at his work today.

 

Author

  • Isabelle Jones
    Isabelle Jones

    Isabelle writes stories giving various tips on various topics. These are for informational purposes only and in no way intended to substitute advice from experts.

    View all posts

Next Post

Love and Lee Opens Doors to Bridal Boutique

Subscribe
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Please login to comment
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok
Don't miss anything!

Get notified of all our new news by ringing the bell at the bottom left corner!

Content Safety

HERO

theseeker.ca

Trustworthy

Approved by Sur.ly

2022
The Seeker Newspaper is located at 327 Second Street E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y8 -- All rights reserved
The Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as the statements and opinions of The Seeker, and should not substitute professional or medical advice.
ISSN 2562-1750 (Print)

ISSN 2562-1769 (Online)
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Events
  • Columnists
  • Videos

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

wpDiscuz
0
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.