Thank you, flstf. I love looking at sketches and studies, as well. Rembrandt, in particular.
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I don't know alot about Gustav Klimt as far as his story goes. I know that he was born in Austria and that he was a controversial figure in his day for the frank female eroticism in much of his work. Perhaps it is tame by today's standards, but near the turn of the 20th century his portrayals of women as powerful sexual beings (with their faces often showing blatant sexual mischief and arousal) was nearly unprecedented.
Here is a blurb about his style:
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Klimt's work is distinguished by the elegant gold or coloured decoration, often of a phallic shape that conceals the more erotic positions of the drawings upon which many of his paintings are based. This can be seen in Judith I (1901), and in The Kiss (1907–1908), and especially in Danaë (1907). One of the most common themes Klimt utilized was that of the dominant woman, the femme fatale. Art historians note an eclectic range of influences contributing to Klimt's distinct style, including Egyptian, Minoan, Classical Greek, and Byzantine inspirations. Klimt was also inspired by the engravings of Albrecht Dürer, late medieval European painting, and Japanese Ukiyo-e. His mature works are characterized by a rejection of earlier naturalistic styles, and make use of symbols or symbolic elements to convey psychological ideas and emphasize the "freedom" of art from traditional culture.
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Which comes from this pretty informative Wikipedia article about him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt
In his early period you will find many beautiful, yet more traditional portraiture than in his later work...I do love his later work, but I find these to be stunning, as well...
Idyll, 1884
Portrait of a Lady, 1894
Allegory of Sculpture, 1896
Sonja Knips, 1898
Portrait of Helene Klimt, 1898 (note: Klimt's niece)
Schubert at the Piano, 1899
Then the style we are all more familiar with...
Judith I, 1901
Goldfish, 1901-02 (it is said that this painting, with the woman's ass pointing out at the viewer, was created to send a message to his negative critics. nize.
)
Girl with Blue Veil, 1902
Beethoven Frieze (detail), 1902 (this was painted directly onto a wall)
Hope 1, 1903
Three Ages of Woman, 1905
Water Serpents I, 1907
Water Serpents II, 1907
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, 1907 (this portrait sold at auction a year or so ago for $135,000,000)
Danae, 1908
Judith II, 1909
Farm Garden with Crucifix, 1912 (this painting was destroyed by fire in 1945)
Mada Primavesi, 1912
Death and Life, 1916
Nice little dirty sketch from 1916...always good.
The Friends, 1916-1917
Adam and Eve, 1918 (unfinished)