Gustav Klimt Timeline

Klimt's Philosophy, the first of three university faculty paintings commissioned for the University of Vienna, was displayed at the Paris Exposition Universelle and provoked outrage in Vienna for its dark, pessimistic symbolism.

Image source: Klimt University of Vienna Ceiling Paintings

For nearly two decades Klimt spent every summer on the Attersee in the Salzkammergut region, producing more than fifty landscapes, including Birch Forest and Apple Tree I, noted for their pointillist-like texture.

Image source: Attersee (lake)

The second faculty painting, Medicine, drew fierce criticism from physicians and politicians for its unflinching depiction of human suffering and the cycle of life, deepening the scandal surrounding the commission.

Visits to the churches of Ravenna, Italy, exposed Klimt to the glittering gold Byzantine mosaics that profoundly influenced his so-called Golden Phase, characterized by flatness, gold leaf, and mosaic-like patterning.

The third and final faculty painting, Jurisprudence, presented a nightmarish vision of judgment. The trio of paintings was never installed at the university and was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1945.

Klimt produced Water Serpents, an erotic composition of intertwined female figures amid swirling water and ornamental decoration, exemplifying the sensuality that pervaded his mature work.

Image source: Water Serpents II

Klimt accepted a major commission from banker Adolphe Stoclet, creating the Stoclet Frieze, a mosaic-inlaid decorative cycle including the famous Expectation and Fulfilment panels for Josef Hoffmann's Brussels palace.

Image source: Stoclet Palace

Klimt painted the sister of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of his celebrated society portraits combining realistic rendering of the face with elaborate decorative backgrounds typical of his Golden Period.

Image source: Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein

Klimt finished this dazzling golden portrait of Viennese society hostess Adele Bloch-Bauer, often called the 'Woman in Gold.' It became one of his most famous works and the subject of a celebrated restitution case decades later.

Image source: Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I

Klimt finished The Kiss (Der Kuss), his iconic depiction of embracing lovers enveloped in shimmering gold. Purchased by the Austrian government before it was even complete, it remains one of the most beloved images in Western art.

Image source: The Kiss (Klimt)

A landmark exhibition organized by Klimt's circle in Vienna displayed sixteen of Klimt's paintings, including The Kiss, alongside decorative arts and architecture, cementing his stature despite earlier scandals.

Klimt exhibited Death and Life, a powerful allegory contrasting a swirling mass of living figures with a dark skeletal figure of Death. It won first prize at the 1911 International Art Exhibition in Rome.

Image source: Death and Life

Klimt painted a second portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, abandoning gold leaf in favor of vibrant color and looser brushwork, reflecting his evolving style after the Golden Phase.

Image source: Adele Bloch-Bauer

Klimt painted The Virgin (Die Jungfrau), a kaleidoscopic composition of a reclining woman surrounded by swirling robes and ornament, showcasing his late-career mastery of color and pattern.

Image source: The Maiden (Klimt)

In his final years Klimt worked on The Bride and other canvases, appointed honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and Vienna, and continued painting portraits and allegories until his death.

Klimt suffered a stroke in January 1918 during the influenza epidemic, contracted pneumonia, and died on February 6, 1918. He was buried at the Hietzing cemetery in Vienna, leaving many works unfinished.

Retreating SS forces burned Schloss Immendorf castle in Lower Austria, destroying thirteen major Klimt paintings stored there, including the three University of Vienna ceiling paintings and several landscapes.

Image source: Schloss Immendorf