At the end of World War II the Nazis burned an AusÂtriÂan casÂtle full of masÂterÂpieces, includÂing three paintÂings by GusÂtav Klimt entiÂtled PhiÂlosÂoÂphy, MedÂiÂcine, and JurispruÂdence. Called the “FacÂulÂty PaintÂings,” these were comÂmisÂsioned by the UniÂverÂsiÂty of VienÂna for the ceilÂing of its Great Hall in 1900, then, upon comÂpleÂtion sevÂen years latÂer, were deemed pornoÂgraphÂic and nevÂer exhibÂitÂed. Until now, they were preÂserved for posÂterÂiÂty only in black and white phoÂtographs.
Thanks to cutÂting edge art restoraÂtion AI, the monoÂchroÂmatÂic images of Klimt’s FacÂulÂty PaintÂings have been reconÂstructÂed in colÂor. They are now on disÂplay in an online gallery of 130 paintÂings, plus a virÂtuÂal exhiÂbiÂtion of 63 of the artist’s works, all brought togethÂer by Google Arts & CulÂture and approÂpriÂateÂly called Klimt vs. Klimt. It’s a retÂroÂspecÂtive explorÂing the artist’s many conÂtraÂdicÂtions. Was he a “scholÂar or innoÂvaÂtor? FemÂiÂnist or womÂanÂizÂer? Famous artist or humÂble craftsÂman? The answer, in most casÂes, is both,” notes Google. There’s more, of course, givÂen the venue, as Art DaiÂly explains:
The exhiÂbiÂtion feaÂtures an immerÂsive AugÂmentÂed RealÂiÂty PockÂet Gallery, which digÂiÂtalÂly orgaÂnizes 63 of Klimt’s masÂterÂworks under a sinÂgle roof. AudiÂences can virÂtuÂalÂly walk the halls of the gallery space at scale and zoom in on the paintÂings’ fine ornaÂmenÂtaÂtion and patÂtern, charÂacÂterÂisÂtic of Klimt’s pracÂtice, made posÂsiÂble by the digÂiÂtiÂzaÂtion of his iconÂic artÂworks in ultra-high resÂoÂluÂtion.
With respect to the first pair of oppoÂsiÂtions (that is, scholÂar or innoÂvaÂtor?), Klimt was assuredÂly both, though not exactÂly at the same time. Trained as an archiÂtecÂturÂal painter at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of Applied Arts in VienÂna, his earÂly work is solidÂly acaÂdÂeÂmÂic — realÂist, forÂmal, clasÂsiÂcal and conÂserÂvÂaÂtive.
So conÂserÂvÂaÂtive an artist was Klimt, in fact, he was electÂed an honÂorary memÂber of the UniÂverÂsiÂty of Munich and the UniÂverÂsiÂty of VienÂna, and in 1888 Klimt received the GoldÂen Order of MerÂit from AusÂtriÂan EmperÂor Franz Josef I … before, that is, his work was judged obscene — a judgÂment that did surÂprisÂingÂly litÂtle to hinÂder Klimt’s career.
At the end of the 19th cenÂtuÂry, Klimt abruptÂly shiftÂed focus, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly after the death of his artist brothÂer Ernst and his father, a gold engraver, in 1892. He became a foundÂing memÂber of the VienÂna SecesÂsion moveÂment, proÂducÂing some of his most famous SymÂbolÂist works durÂing his “GoldÂen Phase,” when many of his works conÂtained real gold leaf in tribÂute not only to his father but to the ByzanÂtine art he saw durÂing visÂits to Venice and RavenÂna. This was the height of Klimt’s career, when he proÂduced such works as The Kiss, The Embrace, and FulÂfillÂment and ExpecÂtaÂtion, “probÂaÂbly the ultiÂmate stage of my develÂopÂment of ornaÂment,” he said.
In many ways, Klimt embodÂied conÂtraÂdicÂtion. An admirÂer of sociÂety and luxÂuÂry, he also spurned comÂpaÂny, turned away all visÂiÂtors, and spendÂing so much time paintÂing landÂscapes durÂing sumÂmer holÂiÂdays that locals called him WaldÂschrat, “forÂest demon.” Renowned for his sexÂuÂal advenÂturÂousÂness (he supÂposÂedÂly fathered 14 chilÂdren), Klimt was also an intenseÂly focused and isoÂlatÂed indiÂvidÂual. In a piece entiÂtled “ComÂmenÂtary on a Non-ExisÂtent Self-PorÂtrait,” he writes:
I have nevÂer paintÂed a self-porÂtrait. I am less interÂestÂed in myself as a subÂject for a paintÂing than I am in othÂer peoÂple, above all women… There is nothÂing speÂcial about me. I am a painter who paints day and day from mornÂing to night… WhoÂevÂer wants to know someÂthing about me… ought to look careÂfulÂly at my picÂtures.
Look careÂfulÂly at an online gallery of Klimt’s works here. And see the immerÂsive AugÂmentÂed RealÂiÂty gallery here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
Thank You for sharÂing GusÂtav Klimt’s brilÂliant work. I can’t wait to have more time to study it again!!!