Gustav Klimt: 6 Paintings Explained

Gustav Klimt (born 14 July 1862, Vienna) is best known for The Kiss (1907-08), a gold-leaf painting of two lovers. His other major works range from the symbolist Death and Life to the elegant portraits of his last years. This guide explains six Klimt paintings and links to a full article on each.

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (1907-08). Oil and gold leaf on canvas, 180 × 180 cm. Held in a Vienna collection.

The Kiss (1907-08): why is it covered in gold?

Klimt painted a couple on a flowering meadow edge, wrapped together in robes of gold leaf and pattern. The square canvas measures 180 x 180 cm and mixes oil paint with real gold leaf. It is the high point of his so-called golden phase.

Read the full guide: Gustav Klimt's The Kiss (1907)

The Embrace (1909): what is Klimt saying about love?

The Embrace is a panel from the Stoclet Frieze, designed for a Brussels palace. A couple stands pressed together in patterned robes while a spiral tree grows behind them. Two of our articles read it as a work of symbolism and Art Nouveau design.

Gustav Klimt, The Embrace (c. 1909), from the Stoclet Frieze.

Read the full guides: Gustav Klimt's The Embrace: A Journey into Symbolism and Art Nouveau and The Embrace by Gustav Klimt: A Journey into Art Nouveau

Death and Life (1910-15): what do the two groups mean?

Klimt began Death and Life in 1910 and reworked it in 1915. A group of sleepers, young and old, is set against a dark, waiting figure of Death on the left. It won a prize at the 1911 exhibition in Rome and is now in the Leopold Museum, Vienna.

Gustav Klimt, Death and Life (1910, reworked 1915). Oil on canvas. Held in a Vienna collection.

Read the full guide: Gustav Klimt's Death and Life (1910)

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Bauernhaus in Buchberg (1911): did Klimt paint landscapes?

He did, mostly on summer holidays at Lake Attersee. Bauernhaus in Buchberg is a farmhouse and garden painted on a square canvas, built from small patches of colour. It shows the quieter side of an artist best known for gold.

Gustav Klimt, Bauernhaus in Buchberg (1911). Oil on square canvas.

Read the full guide: Gustav Klimt's Bauernhaus in Buchberg (1911)

Portrait of Eugenia Primavesi (1913-14): who was she?

Eugenia Primavesi was the wife of a banker who supported Klimt's circle. The portrait shows her in a loose dress against a bright patterned ground, in a more relaxed, colourful style than the gold-leaf works.

Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Eugenia Primavesi (1913-14). Oil on canvas.

Read the full guide: Gustav Klimt's Eugenia Primavesi (1913)

Lady with a Fan (1917-18): why did it sell for so much?

Lady with a Fan is one of Klimt's last paintings, a young woman in a Japanese-style robe against a background of Asian patterns. It sold at Sotheby's in London in 2023 for about 85 million pounds.

Gustav Klimt, Lady with a Fan (1917-18). Oil on canvas.

Read the full guide: Gustav Klimt's Woman with Fan (1917)

What was Vienna like when Klimt worked there?

Klimt worked in a city that also produced Egon Schiele and a thriving poster scene. For the city around him, read Vienna 1900: How Klimt, Schiele and Mucha Built the Last Great City for Art.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gustav Klimt's most famous painting?

The Kiss (1907-08), a gold-leaf painting of a couple, is his most famous work.

Which art movement was Klimt part of?

Klimt co-founded the Vienna Secession in 1897 and is linked to Symbolism and Art Nouveau.

Why does Klimt use gold leaf?

He used real gold leaf in his golden phase, inspired by Byzantine mosaics, to give the figures a flat, icon-like glow.

Zocine Art Design is an independent studio that prints classic paintings as wall art.

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