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Gustav Klimt Gallery |
The Kiss
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The Tree of Life (w/ foil & metallic ink
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Der Kuss (foil & metallic ink on special
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Enter Gallery
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Gallery Description
Gustav Klimt was born July 14, 1862 in Baumgarten, a Viennese suburb. His father, an immigrant from Bohemia, failed in his occupation as a gold engraver, and his children were raised in utter poverty. Klimt's family, like many others in Vienna in the 1860's, was in desperate need of money. Frequently changing address, they lived in small and poorly lit houses, wherever they could afford.
When he was just 14, Gustav quit school, but managed to enroll at a local college of art and craft. While at Byrgerschule, Klimt's artistic abilities were recognized, and he was encouraged to develop them. He gained a place at the Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts school), one of two Viennese public art schools. He was so talented, he began earning a living off commissions while still at school. He formed a partnership with his brother Ernst and another student, Franz Matsch. Up until the 1890's , Klimt-Matsch & Co. were getting rich on commissions for the new buildings being constructed.
Upon leaving the Kunstgewerbeschule in 1883, the Klimts and Matsch began to work full-time producing various representational paintings for a range of patrons. Klimt wished to be seen as a painter of architectural decorations, a reputation underlined by the nature of commissions early in his career, which included works to be placed in theatres, museums and churches. Contributions for a series called Allegories and Emblems were produced on request for a publisher. Following this success, a second series was requested and produced (1896-1900), containing Klimt's painting Tragedy. In this painting, elements that would come to characterize Klimt's later work are already present: concentrated areas of detail, gold paint (Klimt's father was a gold engraver), the female form, classical symbolism and areas of abstract space
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Tuesday, October, 7 th
2008
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