A fistful of artwork

 

Heh heh.

[Pic by The Tiger Lillies. Hat tip Jesper Sundwall]

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Goldfish, by Gustav Klimt

A cheeky one from turn-of-the-century Vienna.

Subtitled 'To My Critics' (for all too obvious reasons deriving from complaints about his paintings being too erotic for public display) this is one of a collection of ceiling paintings at the University of Vienna.

 

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Portrait of Mother and Child, by Gustav Klimt

“Hygeia” – Gustav Klimt

 Hygeia, Detail from "Medicine,"
1907, Oil on canvas, 430 x 300 cm
Destroyed by fire at Immendorf Palace, 1945

Painted by Klimt as one of three figures in a mural for the Great Hall of Vienna’s University, this figure depicts the image of Hygeia, the goddess of health--an allegory for Medicine. 

Critics and public alike damned Klimt for the figures’ lewdness.

In response, he painted the humorous “Goldfish” (pictured here) originally titled “An Answer to My Critics.”

I think you can see why.

Sadly, Hygeia was destroyed in 1945, so only poor copies now exist. And this figure, once damned, is now used on the cover of the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra’s programme for their current Splendour in Vienna series.

How ‘bout that.

“Three ages of women” (detail) – Gustav Klimt

The full image is here.
You might see the full image and say of it, as people say of Rodin’s Helmetmaker’s Wife, “why the ugliness?"  A great answer is given here.
To precis, “Truth is beauty, and beauty is truth . . . ”

Judith II – Gustav Klimt

Monna Vanna.  Medea. Lucrece. Judith. Salome. Woman in literature and history whose terrible and heroic choices altered destinies and overthrew dynasties.  The ultimate sexually charged femmes fatale!

Read the story of Judith here –- and see how other artists depicted her.  And read a Life in Opera here: Klimt’s Judith from 1909 bears more than a coincidental resemblance to Salome, don’t you think?

Goldfish - Gustav Klimt, 1903

A cheeky one from turn-of-the-century Vienna.

Subtitled 'To My Critics' (for all too obvious reasons deriving from complaints about his paintings being too erotic for public display) this is one of a collection of ceiling paintings at the University of Vienna.

Beethoven Monument - Max Klinger

     

Max Klinger's Beethoven monument in location at Joseph Olbrich's Vienna Secession building: to demonstrate what a coming together of talent the 'Secession' movement represented, one need only notice the room also features the famous Beethoven frieze by Gustav Klimt.

Danaë - Gustav Klimt

The Danaë. Impregnated by Zeus sometime back in pre-history. Painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907.

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