20/internal/media/dispatcher/5283/fullWoman in White1917/1918[Gustav Klimt, Hugo Koller, Österreichische Galerie, Gustav Klimt, Broncia Koller-Pinell, Galerie Welz, Wien]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas (unfinished) Lady in White is one of the unfinished paintings found in Gustav Klimt’s studio after his death. It is a good example of the painter’s approach in his late period: Klimt positioned his unknown model within the square canvas so as to form a diagonal that divides the picture space. This creates three sections in the composition, with the figure at the center, a light background on the left, and a dark surface opposite. While the visible brushwork is typical of Klimt’s late paintings, the pronounced flatness of the image is a characteristic of Viennese Jugendstil. Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3080/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/128260/fullJohanna Staude1917/1918[Johanna Staude, Gustav Klimt, Österreichische Galerie]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas Johanna Staude gazes back at us with shining blue eyes. Gustav Klimt shows the young woman against an orange-red background with a fashionable hairstyle and wearing a dress with a striking pattern. It is named after a Wiener Werkstätte fabric called „Blätter“ (Leaves) and was designed by Martha Albers, a graduate from the Vienna School of Applied Arts. Wrapped around the sitter’s throat is a feather boa that draws our attention to her face. This serene and simple composition was one of Klimt’s last female portraits. The painter was a friend of Johanna Staude and she probably modeled for him on repeated occasions. Address directories document that she was also a language teacher and artist.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/4302/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/52844/fullAmalie Zuckerkandl1913/14 (possibly also still in 1917) (unfinished)[Amalie und Otto Zuckerkandl, Amalie Zuckerkandl, Österreichische Galerie, Hermine Müller-Hofmann, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, Gustav Klimt]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas The sitter is Amalie Zuckerkandl, wife of the surgeon Otto Zuckerkandl and sister-in-law of the well-known writer Berta Zuckerkandl. This unfinished portrait clearly demonstrates Gustav Klimt’s method of working. As in all of his late portraits, his starting point was the face while the body and clothes are initially only indicated using sketchy strokes. Klimt was given the commission in 1913/14, but progress was interrupted when the Zuckerkandls moved house. In 1917 he resumed work on the portrait, yet it was never finished due to Klimt’s unexpected death early the following year. Amalie Zuckerkandl was left impoverished after the couple divorced. In 1942 she was deported by the Nazis and murdered at Bełžec extermination camp in Poland. Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/7488/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/160537/fullAdam and Eve1916 - 1918[Gustav Klimt, Galerie Gustav Nebehay, Österreichische Galerie, Sonja Knips]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas (unfinished) Klimt rarely engaged with biblical subjects during his career. One of his last works, unfinished at his death, shows the first humans, Adam and Eve. He was not interested in the more traditional depiction of the Fall, however, instead focusing on the figure of Eve as the quintessential female. Adam has closed his eyes, intoxicated with love, as he tilts his head and nestles tenderly against Eve. But Eve is looking straight at us. The anemones on the ground are emblems of fertility; the leopard skin, meanwhile, was a symbol in ancient Greece of unbridled desire. In Klimt’s interpretation, then, it is Eve—and not the snake—who is the temptress.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3196/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/97122/fullAvenue to Schloss Kammer1912[Österreichische Galerie, Paula Zuckerkandl, Gustav Klimt, Victor & Paula Zuckerkandl, Viktor Zuckerkandl]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas “I am longing to get away more than ever,” wrote Gustav Klimt at the beginning of August 1901 — away from the hot city for a sojourn by the lakes and mountains of Austria’s Salzkammergut. From 1900 to 1916 the artist spent several weeks each summer at the Attersee lake. This beautiful region inspired him and he painted intensively. Klimt depicted Schloss Kammer in a total of five paintings. At the end of an avenue of gnarled trees, the entrance and part of the yellow façade can be seen in the pictorial depths. Vibrant dabs of paint and bold contours reflect Klimt’s engagement with the international avant-garde, for example the work of Vincent van Gogh or Paul Cézanne that he had the chance to study at exhibitions in Vienna.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/8691/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/70875/fullUpper Austrian Farmhouse1911[Gustav Klimt, Galerie Miethke, Wien, Moderne Galerie, Wien]Gustav KlimtOil on canvasIt is as though we are standing beneath the apple tree ourselves, with the dense treetops towering over the view of the old farmhouse in the background. Gustav Klimt painted this picture during his summer retreat at the Attersee in 1911. Using a pointillist technique, he dissolved nature into numerous brushstrokes, while the house itself is rendered with clearly defined surfaces and contours. This gives the impression of a two-dimensional surface pattern, despite the spatial distance between the individual motifs. The blossoming and fertility of nature that so delighted Klimt, evident in the orchards and flower meadows of most of his landscapes, takes on the character of a natural symbolism that celebrates life in its prime.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/380/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/70896/fullSchloss Kammer on Lake Attersee III1911/1912[Österreichische Galerie, Gustav Ucicky, Österreichische Galerie, Ferdinand und Adele Bloch-Bauer, Gustav Klimt, Erich Führer, Ingeborg Anna Ucicky, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas “Arrived safely, forgot my opera glasses—need them badly,” Klimt reported to his sister Hermine in 1915 from his vacation home on Lake Attersee. The artist’s need during his summer vacation for optical aids—a telescope as well as opera glasses—becomes apparent from this painting: the lakeside facade of Schloss Kammer. Klimt probably captured it on canvas from the opposite shore using a telescope. The zoom effect causes the trees, the low front wing, and the red roof of the main building behind to appear as if on a single plane. With its softly out-of-focus reflections, the lake portion also appears to be part of the resulting two-dimensional image.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3112/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/140353/fullThe Kiss (Lovers)1908 (finished 1909)[Ministerium für Kultus und Unterricht, Gustav Klimt, Moderne Galerie, Wien]Gustav KlimtFigures: gold leaf, silver leaf, platinum leaf, resin oil colors on primed canvas (zinc paint). – Background: Composition gold (brass), glazed, flakes of metal leaf “The Kiss”, probably Klimt’s most famous work, was painted at the height of his Golden Period without a direct commission. It shows a couple, melting into one, at the edge of a meadow of flowers. Only the different patterning of the robes distinguishes their bodies that are enveloped in a shimmering golden halo. Klimt actually used real gold leaf, silver, and platinum in his picture. He presumably started work on it in 1907 and exhibited the painting at the Kunstschau in June the following year under the title “Lovers”. From this show, the Ministry of Art purchased it for the Modern Gallery—now the Belvedere—for a price that was high even then. In autumn 1909, a catalogue of this museum cited the work for the first time as “The Kiss”, the title by which it is world famous today.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/6678/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/115111/fullFlowering Poppies1907[Rudolf Leopold, Amalie Zuckerkandl, Paula Zuckerkandl, Victor & Paula Zuckerkandl, Hans Gnad, Gustav Klimt, Viktor Zuckerkandl, Galerie Miethke, Wien, Österreichische Galerie]Gustav KlimtOil on canvasThis painting resembles a floral tapestry, a shimmering fabric of vibrant dabs, the red of the poppies standing out as the dominant color. There is no hint of sunlight nor shadow to be seen, only the occasional outlined tree, and a gray strip of sky above the high horizon. Klimt was inspired to paint works such as this by the luminous vibrancy of French Impressionism. But his poppy field does not convey a fleeting visual experience—far from it! Rather it exudes nature’s harmony and eternal validity. Klimt painted this work in the countryside surrounding the lake Attersee in Upper Austria, where he spent his summers after 1900.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3917/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/118781/fullFritza Riedler1906[Österreichische Galerie, Fritza Riedler, Emilie Barbara Langer, Aloys Riedler, Gustav Klimt]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas Dignified, reserved, and majestic, Fritza Riedler (1860–1927), the wife of a wealthy mechanical engineer, sits in a chair as if enthroned. The delicate features of her pale face stand in striking contrast to her dark hair. There is not a flicker of expression on her face, not the slightest stirring to provide a glimpse of the sitter’s inner self. Gustav Klimt combines the naturalistic depiction of his model with a background dissolved into ornamentation. Even the chair is transformed into an ornament composed of wavy lines and ancient Egyptian eye motifs. This interplay between depth and an emphasis on the picture plane characterizes Klimt’s work from his so-called Golden Period. Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/2177/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/114740/fullCottage Garden with Sunflowers1906[Karl Wittgenstein, Hermine Wittgenstein, Galerie Sanct Lucas, Gustav Klimt, Österreichische Galerie]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas Sunflowers and dahlias, marigolds, asters, and flame flowers. In this work, Klimt more than lives up to his reputation as the “artist of eternal flowering.” Against a backdrop of verdant green, he has filled the picture plane with a vibrant sea of flowers. This abundant, vivid array stirs memories of a radiant summer day. It transports us to a dream world beyond space and time, where flowers and leaves never wilt. One typical characteristic of Klimt’s landscape paintings is their square format. In order to find the perfect section of a scene, the painter used a viewfinder. “This is a hole cut into a piece of cardboard,” he explained in a letter to his lover Mizzi Zimmermann.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/2483/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/36554/fullGirlfriends (Water Serpents I)1904 (minor amendments in 1907)[Gustav Klimt, Unbekannter Besitz, Belvedere, Wien, Karl Wittgenstein, Galerie H. O. Miethke, Galerie L. T. Neumann, Gustav Klimt]Gustav Klimt Watercolour, gouache, pencil, gold, silver, platinum and brass on parchment Klimt’s aquatic beings, described by the artist as “water serpents” or “water nymphs,” seem bewitchingly detached from the real world. In dreamy, flowing movements they float above the ocean floor in the midst of golden seaweed. A glimmering fish stares out at us with a fixed gaze from the lower right of the picture. Influenced by the Symbolist art movement, the artist used these aquatic creatures to symbolize a mystical realm. Klimt created this work on parchment at the height of his Golden Period.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3828/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/83180/fullJudith1901[Gustav Klimt, Berthe Hodler, Sophie Loew-Unger, Österreichische Galerie, Anton Loew]Gustav KlimtOil and gold leaf on canvas The biblical story of the brave Judith has often been depicted in art. Judith, a chaste widow, gets the enemy commander Holofernes drunk with divine help, and then beheads him to free her people. Gustav Klimt interprets the Old Testament heroine as an erotic femme fatale. She gazes seductively at the viewer through half-closed eyes, her lips slightly parted. Only on closer inspection do we see the decapitated head of Holofernes. Judith holds it almost tenderly, as if to push it out of the picture. In Klimt’s painting there is no room for the male aggressor. He has transformed the biblical story of resistance in a political conflict into a battle of the sexes, and Judith’s triumph into a dangerously tantalizing icon of femininity.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3492/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/4119/fullOld Man on his Death-Bed1900[Privatbesitz, Gustav Klimt, Österreichische Galerie]Gustav KlimtOil on millboard Depictions of the deceased appear frequently in Klimt’s oeuvre, but are usually not shown to the public due to the highly personal nature of the subject matter. In most cases, the people can be clearly identified. Not so in the case of this portrait, where the identity of the old man has yet to be fully determined and continues to puzzle scholars. Klimt often painted such portraits immediately after death, sometimes on the very day of the subject’s passing. This painting is dated 1900, which may indicate the year of the man’s death. The work was probably cropped, as only a fragment of the original composition is visible today.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/9957/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/4073/fullAfter the Rain1898[Gustav Klimt, Ministerium für Kultus und Unterricht, Moderne Galerie, Wien, Vereinigung bildender Künstler Österreichs Secession]Gustav KlimtOil on canvasGustav Klimt spent his first summer vacation in the Salzkammergut region in August 1898. He resided for several weeks at Sankt Agatha near Steeg on Hallstatt Lake in the company of the Flöge family. During his stay, he created four landscape paintings, including After the Rain. Even in these early landscapes, Klimt’s soft brushwork, conveying a fleeting impression, attests that he was particularly influenced by the style of the French Impressionists. The artist also drew inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints. After the Rain was the first work by Klimt to enter the collection in 1900, three years before the opening of the Moderne Galerie at the Lower Belvedere.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/6087/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/118782/fullSonja Knips1897/1898[Österreichische Galerie, Gustav Klimt, Sonja Knips]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas Calm and confident, Sonja Knips gazes back at us. A baroness by birth, she was one of Gustav Klimt’s most prominent patrons. The artist subtly composed her portrait with great sensitivity, alternating between hazy evocation and precision: Sonja Knips’s face is rendered naturalistically, while her sumptuous tulle gown dissolves in a cascade of soft brushstrokes. Leaning slightly forward, she sits on the edge of an armchair ready to rise at any moment. A red sketchbook in her right hand adds an accent of bright color. This is the first portrait that Klimt painted in a square format. It also marks the start of his rise to become one of the most sought-after portraitists of Viennese society.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/3197/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/4046/fullLady at the Fireplace1897/1898[Unbekannter Besitz, Gustav Klimt, Österreichische Galerie, Friedrich Stadler-Wolffersgrün, Editha und Hermann Bauch, Friedrich Viktor Stadler-Wolffersgrün]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas The fashionable young woman sitting by the fireplace is depicted by Gustav Klimt as lost in thought. The dim lighting blurs her silhouette, while the warm glow of the fire is only vaguely discernible. The sitter exudes cosmopolitan sophistication, and her dreamy demeanor is consistent with the melancholy portrayal of women prevalent at the time in literature. The circumstances surrounding the painting’s creation remain unknown. However, anonymous portraits of women were a common theme in Klimt’s work. In this work, rather than characterizing a specific individual, the artist sought to capture a particular perspective on life.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/4185/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/148283/fullJosef Lewinsky as Carlos in Clavigo1895[Gustav Klimt, Gesellschaft für vervielfältigende Kunst, Wien, Ministerium für Kultus und Unterricht, Moderne Galerie, Wien]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas Klimt depicts the court actor Josef Lewinsky as Carlos in Goethe’s tragedy, performing on stage. The surrounding scene is shrouded in darkness, revealing only the actor’s pale face, collar, and cuffs. An antique tripod frames the scene on the right, emitting smoke from which a laughing woman holding a mask emerges. Hovering above her is Dionysus, the god of wine, to whom the world’s first theater was dedicated. Klimt’s painting was commissioned by the Gesellschaft für vervielfältigende Kunst (Society for Reproducing Art) to illustrate the book Das k. k. Hofburgtheater seit seiner Begründung (The Imperial and Royal Hofburg Theater since Its Foundation), which documented the history of Viennese theater. The painter thus placed the Hofburgtheater in the tradition of the ancient Greek theater.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/6234/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/3990/fullAllegory of Sacred Music (Female Organ Player)1884[Gustav Klimt, Galerie Miethke, Wien, k. k. Österreichische Staatsgalerie, Gustav Klimt]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas A female organist, dressed in a luxurious blue silk robe, kneels before her instrument. The figure is accompanied by a cittern-playing angel hovering just above her head, as well as a pair of singing cherubs. This sketch was made in preparation for a ceiling fresco for the Municipal Theater in Fiume (Rijeka), which was to be executed the following year by the studio of the Klimt brothers and Franz Matsch. The proposed theme was a cycle of allegories on the various genres of music. Klimt’s design is an allegory of sacred music. The figure’s kneeling posture symbolizes the sanctified aspect and transforms the organ into an altar. The musician’s transfigured gaze toward the heavens is also indicative of this.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/471/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/42879/fullMale Nude1883[Österreichische Galerie, Gustav Klimt, Walter Reinhardt, Gustav Klimt, Gustav Klimt, Theresia Reinhardt]Gustav KlimtOil on canvas This study of a male nude is one of the earliest known paintings by Gustav Klimt. It is a prime example of academic teaching. Klimt was a student in the decorative painting class at the Imperial and Royal Arts and Crafts School in Vienna and thus had access to academic training as a history painter. Works such as this were not intended to be sold on the art market, but were created as practice pieces. The model is kneeling on plain, stacked wooden crates in an unadorned studio space. With his right hand in a defensive position, the pose is reminiscent of figures found on ancient battle sarcophagi. Klimt thus studied a classical pictorial formula in the most naturalistic way possible.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/4742/rdf