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klimt

Gustav Klimt (14 July 1862 – 6 February 1918) was an Austrian painter and a prominent figure of the Vienna Secession, a movement seeking to break away from traditional academic standards. Born in Baumgarten near Vienna, he studied at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts before establishing a successful career as a portraitist and muralist. Klimt and his colleagues formed the Secession in 1897, which promoted innovative styles, embraced symbolism, and welcomed new artistic currents from abroad.

Klimt is best known for his highly decorative, gold-infused paintings from the so-called Golden Phase. His works

Klimt’s influence extends beyond his own paintings; his decorative approach helped shape modern Art Nouveau aesthetics

combine
meticulous
patterning,
flat
areas
of
color,
and
symbolic
imagery,
frequently
exploring
themes
of
love,
fertility,
and
life
and
death.
Notable
paintings
include
The
Kiss
(1907–1908),
which
embodies
his
radiant
ornament
and
intimate
interaction
of
figures,
and
Portrait
of
Adele
Bloch-Bauer
I
(1907),
a
glittering
portrait
famous
for
its
gold
leaf
and
ornate
background.
Other
significant
works
include
Judith
and
the
Head
of
Holofernes
(1901–1902)
and
The
Tree
of
Life
(1909).
Klimt
also
contributed
major
murals
and
cycles
such
as
the
Beethoven
Frieze
(1902),
created
for
the
Secession
Building
in
Vienna.
and
the
broader
development
of
Modernism
in
Austria.
He
produced
most
of
his
major
works
in
Vienna,
where
a
substantial
portion
of
his
art
is
held
in
national
collections,
notably
the
Belvedere.
Klimt
died
in
Vienna
in
1918,
leaving
a
lasting
legacy
in
the
study
of
symbolic,
ornamental
portraiture.