Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life in Vienna.
Gustav Klimt, Beethoven Frieze, Vienna Secession, 1902 A conversation with Khan Academy's Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris In the News: The heirs of the Austrian Jewish collector who owned this work before World War II recently lost their case to recover it.Klimt’s case, the feminine figure became an integral part of his revolutionary mission. J.P.Bouillon, in his analysis of Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze, outlines its contextual significance thus: Vienna, at the end of the 19th century, was the capital of a state in crisis. Increasingly disparate.In the Beethoven Frieze the kiss signifies fufillment after the victory over the hostile powers. As in The Kiss, the lovers stand against a golden ground, which breaks into the meadow of flowers on which a choir of angels is singing. Gehind the lovers is a rose bush. Klimt had used roses in Love as well.
In preparation for the 14th Vienna Secessionist exhibition, Klimt completed the Beethoven Frieze in 1902. Whilst intended to be a temporary artwork purely for that end, it was preserved and eventually restored to display permanently.Gustav Klimt was seen as an artist who was far ahead of his time, and much of the work that was produced during the Austrian born artist's career, was seen as controversial. It was criticized due to the erotic and exotic nature. Although symbolism was used in his art forms, it was not at all subtle, and it went far beyond what the imagination during the time frame accepted.
Gustav Klimt, Beethoven Frieze. Gustav Klimt, Beethoven Frieze, 1902, Vienna Secession Hall. The heirs of the Austrian Jewish collector who owned this work before World War II lost their case to recover it in 2015. Learn more in the March 7, 2015 New York Times article.
