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Entries in Vienna Sezession (1)

Monday
Jul042016

Gustav Klimt: The Decorative Symbolist

DateMonday, July 4, 2016 at 8:00AM

Gustav Klimt - Adele Block-Bauer I - 1907 - Oil on canvas with gold and silver - Height: 136 cm (53.54 in.), Width: 138 cm (54.33 in.) - Neue Gallerie, New York (click photo for larger image)Two of the most famous masterpieces by Austrian Symbolist Painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) are on exhibit in New York—for all to see and enjoy!  

Adele Block-Bauer I (previously featured on this site) is in the permanent collection of the Neue Gallery. It was painted during what is known as the artist’s “golden phase”. 

Adele Block-Bauer II is on permanent loan to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). 

Gustav Klimt - Adele Block-Bauer II - 1912 - Oil on canvas. Private Collection - MoMA, New York (click photo for larger image)During World War II, Frau Adele Bloch-Bauer and several other Klimt paintings belonging to the Bloch-Bauer family were confiscated by the Nazis and eventually added to the collection of the Österreichische Gallery in Vienna. The legal battles fought for the return of the paintings are the focus of the 2015 film, Woman in Gold, directed by Simon Curtis and starring Helen Mirren.

Klimt trained (and for a time worked) as a designer, in the classical tradition. As he matured however, a unique, anti-classical style emerged in his work. He was one of the founders of the Vienna Sezession, a group of painters who revolted against academic art. They became established on April 3, 1897. There isn’t a single style that unites the work of all artists who were part of the secession. In fact, above its entrance was placed the phrase "Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit”, which means, "To every age its art. To every art its freedom.". Secession artists were concerned, above all else, with exploring the possibilities of art outside the confines of academic tradition and historical influence. Klimt ultimately developed a highly decorative style, bearing a strong similarity to Art Nouveau. His primary interest was in the female form, and many of his works are characterized by a candid eroticism.

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