Gustav Klimt

He died at the age of 53 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, after suffering from stroke and pneumonia, due to influenza epidemic of the year. He was buried at the Hietzinger Cemetery in Hietzing, Vienna.

Gustav Klimt was born in Baumgarten, Austrian Empire, to Ernst Klimt the Elder, a gold engraver and Anna Klimt, a music aficionado. He was second of the seven children of the couple.

Until 1833, he studied architectural painting at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. During this time, he lived in poverty. He initially began his career painting interior murals and ceilings on large public buildings in Vienna, Austria.

In 1888, he painted ‘Old Burgtheater in Vienna’, which was a painting of the old theatre that would soon be demolished. The painting was well appreciated for its photographic realism.

In 1897, he founded an association for artists called, ‘The Vienna Secession’. He served as its first President. The association also had its own magazine, ‘Ver Sacrum’. His liaison with the association lasted until 1908.

From 1888 until 1890, he worked on his painting, ‘Sappho’, which represented the Greek lyric poet named Sappho, who was born in Lesbos, an island.

In 1890, he painted, ‘Portrait of pianist Joseph Pembauer’, which, as the title describes, was a portrait of the piano teacher Joseph Pembauer. The painting was appreciated for its vivid and detailed pragmatism.

In 1894, he was commissioned to adorn the ceiling of the Great Hall of the University of Vienna - a project that he could complete only by 1900. However, the three paintings that he had produced, Philosophy, Medicine and Jurisprudence were sharply criticized for their radical themes and eventually destroyed.

His painting ‘Old Burgtheater in Vienna’ is one his most critically acclaimed paintings known for its photographic realism. It was awarded a prize by The Emperor of Austria.

‘The Kiss’ is one of his most popular paintings and is widely regarded as a masterpiece belonging to the early modern period of art. The painting is preserved at the �sterreichische Galerie Belvedere Museum in the Belvedere Palace, Vienna.