Gustav Klimt's Golden phase

Minerva or Pallas Athena 1898

Klimt's most famous pieces of work are those from his gold phase. The main source of influence for these paintings came from the Byzantine mosaic work which he saw in Ravvena and Venice. These mosaics employed the use of gold tiles. Byzantine art usually portrays historical, religious or regal themes. The subjects' poses  are similar to those employed by Klimt. 

Klimt's paintings proved to be critically and financially successful during his lifetime.  The figures in these paintings all appear to be permanent fixtures, never moving from their captured pose. The colours used in these painting convey warmth and almost narrate some untold story captured within the paintings.

Basilica di San Marco-Venice is famous for its Byzantine-style mosaic ceilings.

The topics he chose to paint are truly timeless ones. They are not depictions of current affairs, like a war or a country's political situation, Klimt's paintings depict, above all, beauty, romance and sexual allure. These are themes that can be understood by almost everyone, regardless of race, era or creed.

I chose to use Klimt as a main source of inspiration for my project as I see a sort of surrealistic stillness in his work. His subjects are all given a regal aura because of the way they are placed within the painting. His art from this period is his most famous, however I will be trying to focus on the lesser known (though still famous) pieces of his work.

Pallas Athene of Gustav Klimt: Eyes of a Goddess

Patrick Hunt

[online]

http://traumwerk.stanford.edu/philolog/2006/07/gustav_klimts_pallas_athene_of.html
accessed January 2014

Pallas Athene 1898
Klimt Museum
[online]
http://www.klimt.com/en/gallery/early-works/klimt-pallas-athene-1898.ihtml
accessed January 2014