Gustav Klimt

Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) created some of the most sensual, decorative works in modern art. As a founder and first president of the Vienna Secession in 1897, he led the movement away from academic tradition toward innovative expression. His "Golden Phase" produced iconic works featuring shimmering gold leaf, intricate patterns, and flat decorative planes. Klimt combined Byzantine mosaic influences with contemporary themes, depicting languid women in richly ornamented settings. His painting The Kiss became an emblem of early modernism.

Klimt trained at Vienna's School of Arts and Crafts, initially working as a decorative painter with his brother and colleague. A 1903 trip to Ravenna exposed him to Byzantine mosaics, inspiring his gold leaf technique. His University of Vienna ceiling panels proved so controversial they were never installed. The wealthy Bloch-Bauer family commissioned his famous portraits, including the gold-toned Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which sold for $135 million in 2006. Klimt's companion Emilie Floge, a fashion designer, modeled for The Kiss. He died during the 1918 flu pandemic. The Belvedere Museum in Vienna holds The Kiss, while the Neue Galerie in New York owns the Adele portrait.