Synopses & Reviews
The prince of decadence: Looking at Klimt in a whole new light: a groundbreaking monograph The countless events being held to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth make a clear statement to the enduring appreciation for the work of
Gustav Klimt. Not that it takes such a special occasion for the press and the public to start talking about Klimt. More than two hundred articles about the artist appeared online in August 2011 alone, in comparison with barely seventy on Rembrandt within the same period. This media publicity set editor Tobias G. Natter thinking about the value of compiling the present book.
During his lifetime, Klimt was a controversial star whose works made passions run high; he stood for Modernism but he also embodied tradition. His pictures polarized and divided the art-loving world. Journalists and general public alike were split over the question:
For or against Klimt? The present publication therefore places particular emphasis upon the voices of Klimt’s contemporaries via a series of essays examining reactions to his work throughout his career. Subjects range from Klimt’s portrayal of women to his adoption of landscape painting in the second half of his life.
The cliché that Gustav Klimt was a man of few words who rarely put pen to paper is vehemently dispelled: no less than 179 letters, cards, writings and other documents are included in this monograph. This
wealth of archival material, assembled here for the first time on such a scale, represents a major contribution to Klimt scholarship.
Defining features of this edition: - Catalog of Klimt’s complete paintings
- All known letter correspondence
- Featuring new photographs of the Stoclet Frieze commissioned exclusively for this book
Contributing authors: Evelyn Benesch, Marian Bisanz-Prakken, Rainald Franz, Anette Freytag, Christoph Grunenberg, Hansjörg Krug, Susanna Partsch, Angelina Pötschner and Michaela Reichel
Synopsis
The present publication therefore places particular emphasis upon the voices of Klimt’s contemporaries via a series of essays examining reactions to his work throughout his career. Subjects range from Klimt’s portrayal of women to his adoption of landscape painting in the second half of his life. The cliché that Gustav Klimt was a man of few words who rarely put pen to paper is vehemently dispelled: no less than 231 letters, cards, writings and other documents—all known Klimt correspondence—are included in this monograph. This wealth of archival material, assembled here for the first time on such a scale, represents a major contribution to Klimt scholarship.
Defining features of this edition:
- catalog of Klimt's complete paintings
- all known letter correspondence
Synopsis
The prince of decadence: Looking at Klimt in a whole new light During his lifetime, Gustav Klimt was a controversial star whose works made passions run high. He stood for Modernism but he also embodied tradition. His pictures polarized and divided the art-loving world. The press and general public alike were split over the question: For or against Klimt?
This monograph explores Klimt's oeuvre with particular emphasis upon such contemporary voices. With a complete catalog of his paintings, including new photographs of the Stoclet Frieze commissioned exclusively for this book, it examines the reactions to Klimt's work throughout his career. Subjects range from Klimt's portrayal of women to his adoption of landscape painting. The theory that Klimt was a man of few words who rarely put pen to paper is also dispelled with the inclusion of 179 letters, cards, writings, and other documents from the artist.
Contributing authors: Evelyn Benesch, Marian Bisanz-Prakken, Rainald Franz, Anette Freytag, Christoph Grunenberg, Hansjorg Krug, Susanna Partsch, Angelina Potschner and Michaela Reichel
Synopsis
During his lifetime, Gustav Klimt was a controversial star whose works made passions run high. He stood for Modernism but he also embodied tradition. His pictures polarized and divided the art-loving world. The press and general public alike were split over the question: For or against Klimt?
This monograph explores Klimt's oeuvre with particular emphasis upon such contemporary voices. With a complete catalogue of his paintings, including new photographs of the Stoclet Frieze commissioned exclusively for this book, it examines the reactions to Klimt's work throughout his career. Subjects range from Klimt's portrayal of women to his adoption of landscape painting. The theory that Klimt was a man of few words who rarely put pen to paper is also dispelled with the inclusion of 179 letters, cards, writings, and other documents from the artist.Contributing authors: Evelyn Benesch, Marian Bisanz-Prakken, Rainald Franz, Anette Freytag, Christoph Grunenberg, Hansj rg Krug, Susanna Partsch, Angelina P tschner, and Michaela Reichel
-- "The Huffington Post, Los Angeles"
Synopsis
Over a century after his death, Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) still startles with his unabashed eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimentation. This monograph gathers all of Klimt's major works alongside authoritative art historical commentary and privileged access to the artist's archive.With top quality illustration, including new photography of the celebrated Stoclet Frieze, the book follows Klimt through his prominent role in the Secessionist movement of 1897, his candid rendering of the female body, and his lustrous "golden phase" when gold leaf brought a shimmering tone and texture to such beloved works as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman in Gold.Through luminous spreads and carefully curated details, the monograph traces the repertoire of Japanese, Byzantine, and allegorical stimuli that informed Klimt's flattened perspectives, his symbolic vocabulary, and his mosaic-like textures. Drawing upon contemporary critics and voices, the book also examines the art world's polarized reception to Klimt's pictures as much as his own stylistic trajectory. From his landscape painting to erotic works to the controversial ceiling for the Great Hall of the University of Vienna, we see how Klimt's admixture of tradition and daring divided the press and public--becried by some as a pornographer, hailed by others as a modern maestro.
Synopsis
The prince of decadence: Looking at Klimt in a whole new light During his lifetime, Gustav Klimt was a controversial star whose works made passions run high. He stood for Modernism but he also embodied tradition. His pictures polarized and divided the art-loving world. The press and general public alike were split over the question: For or against Klimt?
This monograph explores Klimt's oeuvre with particular emphasis upon such contemporary voices. With a complete catalog of his paintings, including new photographs of the Stoclet Frieze commissioned exclusively for this book, it examines the reactions to Klimt's work throughout his career. Subjects range from Klimt’s portrayal of women to his adoption of landscape painting. The theory that Klimt was a man of few words who rarely put pen to paper is also dispelled with the inclusion of 179 letters, cards, writings, and other documents from the artist.
Contributing authors: Evelyn Benesch, Marian Bisanz-Prakken, Rainald Franz, Anette Freytag, Christoph Grunenberg, Hansjörg Krug, Susanna Partsch, Angelina Pötschner and Michaela Reichel
About the Author
The editor and Author -
Tobias G. Natter studied art history and history at the universities of Innsbruck, Munich, and Vienna. He worked at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Vienna for fifteen years. From 2001-2002 he was curator of the Neue Galerie in New York. From 2006 to 2011 he directed the Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz and was responsible for the museums new premises and the reorganization of the collection. Since October 2011 he is the director of the Leopold Museum in Vienna. His extensive publications and his conception and organisation of exhibitions on the theme of “Vienna around 1900” have made him an internationally acknowledged expert on Viennese art at the turn of the century.Contributing authors: Evelyn Benesch, Marian Bisanz-Prakken, Rainald Franz, Anette Freytag, Christoph Grunenberg, Hansjörg Krug, Susanna Partsch, Angelina Pötschner and Michaela Reichel