How to Spot a Painting by Klimt

The distinctiveness of Gustav Klimt's most famous paintings makes them easy to recognize. Klimt's work was part of a rebellion--called the Art Nouveau movement--against the accepted art practices of the day, so he meant it to look different from anything else. Even among the work of other artists of the Art Nouveau movement, Klimt's canvases stand out because of his unusual style, subjects and media.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Look for the use of gold and silver leaf rather than paint. Few modern painters besides Klimt make such an extensive use of real gold and silver in their works.

2. Attune your eye to the degree of ornament. If the image has many complex designs and a bold use of many different colors, it could be a Klimt. Often, Klimt drapes his figures in elaborate fabrics with dizzying designs that present contrasting curves with angular geometric figures.

3. Find at least one serious and sensual female figure, usually at the center of the canvas, usually naked and often in an erotic pose. Klimt deliberately chose scandalously sexual subjects for his paintings to shock people out of their contemporary tastes.

4. Evaluate the depth of the image. Klimt's paintings usually lack a realistic sense of depth, but are more stylized like medieval art in that they flatten everything out into almost abstract shapes.

5. Get a feel for Klimt's most famous paintings by going to the WebMuseum's page (see Additional Resources) with images and analyses of works from various periods in his life.

Resources

• WebMuseum's website on Gustav Klimt