Gustav Klimt (1862–1918): An Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement, Gustav Klimt was born in Baumgarten, Austria. Known for his flamboyant design and sensual portrayals of the human body, Klimt’s work most frequently examined concepts of love, desire, and the subconscious. Some of Klimt’s most notable pieces are “The Kiss,” “Judith and the Head of Holofernes,” and “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I,” with his famous works defined by the use of gold leaf, intricately designed patterns, and highly stylized forms, granting his subjects a certain mystique and allure.
Klimt was also an accomplished draftsman and muralist, creating stunning works of art that decorated public buildings and private homes across Vienna. Klimt’s art was controversial in its day for its overt sexuality and rejection of academic norms. He did well and gained a following in avant-garde circles, and he was one of the most in-demand artists in Vienna.
Today, Klimt is revered as a precursor of modernism and a master of decorative art. His artistry still delights the masses with its complexity, beauty, and myriad associations, ensuring his place as one of the foremost artists of the 20th century.
01. “Truth is like fire; to tell the truth means to glow and burn.”
― Gustav Klimt
02. “I have the gift of neither the spoken nor the written word, especially if I have to say something about myself or my work. Whoever wants to know something about me -as an artist, the only notable thing- ought to look carefully at my pictures and try and see in them what I am and what I want to do.”
― Gustav Klimt
03. “All art is erotic.”
― Gustav Klimt
04. “Whoever wants to know something about me, they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognise what I am and what I want.”
― Gustav Klimt
05. “A palavra falada, tal como a palavra escrita não me saem facilmente e muito menos quando tenho de me expressar sobre mim mesmo ou sobre o meu trabalho. (…) Aquele que pretende saber algo sobre mim – na qualidade de artista porque apenas esta minha faceta é digna de interesse – deve olhar atentamente para os meus quadros e tentar depreender deles o que sou e o que pretendo.”
― Gustav Klimt
06. “All art is erotic.”
― Gustav Klimt
07. “Sometimes I miss out the morning’s painting session and instead study my Japanese books in the open.”
― Gustav Klimt
08. “True relaxation, which would do me the world of good, does not exist for me.”
― Gustav Klimt
09. “There is no self-portrait of me.”
― Gustav Klimt
10. “After tea it’s back to painting – a large poplar at dusk with a gathering storm. From time to time instead of this evening painting session I go bowling in one of the neighbouring villages, but not very often.”
― Gustav Klimt
11. “Whoever wants to know something about me – as an artist which alone is significant – they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognise what I am and what I want.”
― Gustav Klimt
12. “If the weather is good I go into the nearby wood – there I am painting a small beech forest (in the sun) with a few conifers mixed in. This takes until 8 ‘o clock.”
― Gustav Klimt
13. “There is nothing that special to see when looking at me. I’m a painter who paints day in day out, from morning till evening – figure pictures and landscapes, more rarely portraits.”
― Gustav Klimt
14. “Although even when I am being idle I have plenty of food for thought both early and late – thoughts both about and not about art.”
― Gustav Klimt
15. “I can paint and draw. I believe this myself and a few other people say that they believe this too. But I’m not certain of whether it’s true.”
― Gustav Klimt
16. “On my first days here I did not start work immediately but, as planned, I took it easy for a few days – flicked through books, studied Japanese art a little.”
― Gustav Klimt
17. “Even when I have to write a simple letter I’m scared stiff as if faced with looming seasickness.”
― Gustav Klimt
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