All of a sudden he discovered that all he ever wanted was within his reach. He didn’t know why but he wanted more. He already had everything a regular man could ever dare to wish: luxuries, a loving daughter, and a kingdom who worshiped him, but it wasn’t enough. He thought that the only thing that could make him reach the utmost happiness was turning his life into a golden paradise. Soon, he happened to meet a man who could make his dream come true: the one and only Dionysus. Despite all the warnings the god gave him, he stubbornly insisted that’s what he wanted, and what he got. The next morning he found out that he could turn everything into gold, from a tiny little flower to the walls of his humongous palace. He felt from within the core of his body an ecstatic energy that traveled throughout his limbs to the object he was touching.
The rest is history. Gold has always been one of the most desired elements in nature. Whether it’s because of its glowing and alluring color, or because it gives a vibe of power and superiority, many have lost their minds to its glistening aura. Just like King Midas, there was a man who was able to turn anything he touched into gold, literally. This man was none other than Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. The coincidences don’t just stop there. This man challenged all the societal standards of his time. Wearing only robes and sandals, he revolutionized the artistic world with his provocatively erotic paintings.
But where did this obsession with gold came from? Born in 1862, he grew up watching his father work with this alluring element in his engraving workshop. Many specialists are sure that this upbringing left a huge mark in his life, pushing him to use this material, gold leaf to be precise, in his work. From an early age he proved his masterful abilities as a painter. His artistic education, his early life, and his abilities were the best combination to create a genius.
He developed his craft at a time where modern currents were just about to dominate the art scene, so many thought his work was fantastical and purely decorative. Critics of his early work thought that he lacked artistry and didn’t really show a vision. Wanting to prove them wrong and to make a social commentary on how conservative the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts was, in 1897 he founded, with other artists and his own brother, what would be later known as the Secession group.
Klimt’s ornamental style and his unique use of color and materials became the trademark of this movement that wanted to show the world that beauty also lies in sexuality and eroticism. Packed with a series of symbolic images, these paintings were highly criticized for their not-so-subtle exploration of sensuality. Moreover, they proved that nudity didn’t need a particular excuse, and could be portrayed in a natural way, just as it happens in real life.
Klimt loved his freedom more than anything else in the world. He felt that this group was keeping him from doing what he really wanted to explore so, in 1905, he quit the program. He started working on the design of jewelry, which gave him the necessary tools, besides his father’s lessons, to succeed in his use of metals.
Inspired by ancient art, such as Roman mosaics and Byzantine art, Klimt soon started developing what came to be known as his “Golden Phase” which granted him fame and admiration. Just as Midas, his hands granted him the power to turn his pieces into gold, and now I’m not talking in a literal way. His pieces, and everything associated with his name, are highly expensive and desired.
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Just as gold, Klimt has always allured us and made us want to see more of his art. Take a look at some of his drawings that will make you experience ecstasy in a whole new level. Besides his artistic mastery, he was also famous for his relationships with women. Check out why he came to be known as the ‘Understander of Women’.
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Source:
Mental Floss
