Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer I

ID: #342 | TOP 20 | Symbolism | Portraits

Date: 1907
Medium: oil on canvas
Location: Neue Galerie New York
Dimensions: 138 x 138

The portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, also called the Lady in Gold, is an important work by Gustav Klimt . This portrait is a landmark of Klimt's golden period and the Viennese Art Nouveau. We can also thank Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a Czech-Austrian banker and sugar manufacturer of Jewish origin, who commissioned this portrait of his wife Adela Bloch-Bauer from Klimt in 1903.

The portrait is an oil painting on canvas and is complemented by gold and silver. The inspiration for the glittering decoration of the portrait with solid material came from Klimt in 1903, when he visited the ancient basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna with the painter and sculptor Maxmilian Lenz. Here, according to Lenz, he was captivated by a work of Byzantine art, an early Christian gold mosaic of Emperor Justinian I and his wife Empress Theodora I.

Rich use of gold at the expense of color. This connection to history creates a unique aura that distinguishes Viennese Art Nouveau from other versions of Art Nouveau throughout Europe. At the same time, the fine details of Adele Bloch-Bauer's face prevent the subject from disappearing into the anonymity induced by the universal scope of the painting. In the portrait, we can also notice the stunning necklace that Adele's daughter Maria Altmann got as a wedding gift, but the Nazis stole it from her during the Second World War. Today, the portrait is in New York's Neue Galerie NY, where it is admired by thousands of visitors.

Klimt painted picture Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer I in 1907. Prevailing color of this fine art print is yellow and its shape is square. Original size is 138 x 138. This art piece is located in Neue Galerie New York. This image is printed on demand - you can choose material, size and finishing.

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). As a painter, Klimt represents the best period of Vienna – a time when the works of Sigmund Freud or Mahler were developing, and Vienna was at the very least the Central European centre of culture and education. Klimt’s work combines symbolism and Byzantine features that create the undertone of his Art Nouveau style. Klimt’s images have a special, even anxious, atmosphere that often shows the Freudian idea of ​​erotica in any human movement and action. Klimt paints two-dimensionally, with intense colour while at the same time very gently and with refined dignity. Among Klimt’s famous works are the Water Snakes - two women with stylized, interwoven bodies that evoke the surreal world of fantasy and sensuality. Another masterpiece is Danae, a work inspired by Greek mythology, depicting a girl seized by Zeus, who was turned into a golden rain (Danae later gave birth to Perseus). His paintings often aroused passions and public protests, not only for their content but also for the innovative painting methods - eg. The Girlfriends, an image of two women at a romantic meeting.