Gustav Klimt

The Austrian symbolist painter, Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), was one of the most renowned members of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement, and his works were primarily focused on the subject of eroticism and the female body.

Gustav Klimt's work was often filled with a rich gold or colored decoration. In Klimt's style, there is a clear and eclectic influence of Egyptian, Minoan, Classical Greek, and Byzantine art. His paintings are often based on the idea of the dominant woman, composed of erotic positions and shapes, and created in a two-dimensional style. Gustav Klimt also used symbolism, or psychological ideas, to characterize his artwork, and to reject naturalistic styles. At the time, his artwork was immensely controversial and criticized for being too sensual and provocative.

Gustav Klimt strongly influenced the paintings of Egon Schiele and after his death, his paintings have been purchased by some of the highest prices ever recorded for an individual artwork.