Gustav Klimt ( * 1862 † 1918 )

Artist Gustav Klimt

Discover the golden world of Gustav Klimt – his artistic masterpieces, full of elegance and symbolism, continue to fascinate to this day. Icons like "The Kiss" or "Hope II" are available in our online shop as canvas prints, art prints, or hand-painted paintings. Bring timeless beauty and artistic opulence into your home!

Klimt was born on July 14, 1862, in Baumgarten near Vienna as the son of an engraver. In 1876, he joined the painting class of Prof. Julius Viktor Berger at the School of Applied Arts in Vienna. He completed this training in 1883 and founded the "Künstlercompagnie" in the same year, which consisted of him, his brother Ernst Klimt, and Franz Matsch; the artist community carried out decorative tasks at the Vienna Burgtheater, among others, in 1886. In 1888, Klimt was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit, and in the same year, he traveled to Krakow, Trieste, Venice, and Munich. A few years after the death of his father and brother Ernst in 1892, Klimt founded the "Vienna Secession" in 1897 together with Joseph Maria Olbrich and Josef Hoffmann, becoming its leader, with the first exhibition taking place a year later. In 1905, however, the "Klimt Group" left the Secession. A year later, Klimt founded the Austrian Artist Association, of which he was to become president in 1912, and traveled to Brussels, London, and Florence. In 1907, his first erotic drawings were published. His "golden period" ended in 1909. Klimt passed away on February 6, 1918, in Vienna.

Already around the turn of the century, Klimt's works became the focal point of Viennese art. He united the various directions of international Art Nouveau and created a synthesis of figures and ornaments, painted in a flat style, providing the viewer with a particularly sensual and sumptuous impression.

All images by Gustav Klimt

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