Gustav Klimt and Adele Bloch-Bauer I
Many people have been able to experience Gustav Klimt’s artwork without actually knowing his name, but for some reason his work always sticks to mind. His work fascinates people, even though back in his day his paintings were not always understood. There is little known about his life but what is known makes this artist and his paintings even more interesting. His paintings have captured millions of eyes and many of these eyes gazed to one of his most interesting works and stories; that of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.
In 1903, the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt was commissioned by Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer to paint his wife, Adele Bloch Bauer. The finished painting, which was completed in 1907, is now known as one of Klimt’s best and most well-known masterpieces. His intention with the artwork is largely unknown as Klimt never wrote in a diary. The only thing Klimt left was an undated statement regarding his thoughts on his occupation “I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself as a subject for painting than I am in other people, above all women. But other subjects interest me even more. I am convinced that I am not particularly interesting as a person. There is nothing special about me”. What did Klimt mean by saying he cares even less about painting himself than people, especially women? Many of his paintings feature women. Perhaps he cared more about the message his paintings express than the actual subject of the paintings. He even goes on to say “I have the gift of neither the spoken nor the written word, especially if I have to say something about myself or my work. …. Whoever wants to know something about me — as an artist, the only notable thing — ought to look carefully at my pictures and try to see in them what I am and what I want to do”. In other words, here he expresses how the observer must carefully analyze the painting in order for them to understand his intentions. By doing this he may even have intended for his intentions never to be truly known.
When analyzing and researching the painting it became clear that there is an entire backstory surrounding Adele Bloch-Bauer I. The Bloch-Bauer was an upper-class Jewish family in Vienna who were apart of the cultural elite. In a way Adele lived in a golden cage. She had everything but was also restricted by the social and gender standards of her time. Maybe this was the intention of Klimt, to show a woman surrounded by all that she could ever want and need. However, these are the same things that are restricting or closing in on her. Mostly likely, Adele was torn between tradition and progression towards emancipation for women. Notably, many of Klimt’s subjects were women; depicting a certain admiration and passion of the beauty of women.
Klimt himself led a relatively simple life. He lived somewhat cloistered, was devoted to his art and family (his mother, siblings and his life companion: Emelie Flöge). Often walking around in a long robe with no sandals or undergarments, he largely avoided café society and other artists socially. Nevertheless, he was a central figure in art society at that time. One of the only things he was involved with was the Vienna Secession. In 1897, he and 20 other painters broke away from the conservative Vienna Artist’s Association. Moreover, Klimt became the first president of the Secession. The Secession provided a support network for young artists by setting up exhibitions, it brought foreign artist’s work to Vienna, and set up a magazine displaying members’ artwork. Due to his fame, Klimt could afford to be highly selective when accepting a commission. Adele Bloch-Bauer was not only an important figure in (cultural) society, she and her husband were also significant supporters of artists such as Klimt. The commissions he received from the Viennese cultural elite cemented his position in the art world even further. Even though Klimt himself led a relatively cloistered life with no real interest in Vienna society, he was a one of the most sought-after men at the top of his game.
The most obvious key element in Klimt’s artwork is the use of gold leaf. Since 1903 Klimt had been painting using gold leaf, this is also known as his “Golden Phase”. Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) was the last painting he made using gold leaf . The use of gold leaf heavily influences the overall image of the painting and places emphasis on the jewelry, especially Adele’s necklace. One of the other striking features is the use of symbols. These symbols were most likely inspired by the Byzantine mosaics. The chair is decorated with swirls, patterns, and circles that remind the viewer of a real mosaic. At first glance Adele looks to be standing but when looking at the portrait a little longer, perhaps a bit further away, there is a faint outline of chair with a swirl pattern in the middle of the painting. The outer edges of the painting are subordinate to the focal points. These subordinate areas, despite still being opulently golden, can be identified by the reduced use of patterns. Moreover, the main part of Adele’s dress is covered in eyes. This could hint at the Evil Eye from Eastern cultures. The eye is seen as a protection against evil. In Adele’s case this could be seen as her armor for protection against Viennese society. In contrast, it could also suggest that Adele’s body (or perhaps in general a woman’s body) needs to be hidden from prying eyes.
© IMAGNO / Austrian Archives (AA)
Klimt was known as a symbolist painter. This style could be related back to him not expressing his intentions about his work directly but hiding it in his paintings to be deciphered by the observer. Symbolism is defined as a “late nineteenth-century movement that advocated the expression of an idea over the realistic description of the natural world”. Young artists rejected the realistic depiction of the natural world, as seen in impressionism, realism, and naturalism; in favor of representing emotions and an idea while creating a dreamlike world according to their inner subjectivity. In many of his paintings Klimt creates a dreamlike world. Thus, Klimt’s worldview was most likely influenced by symbolism and his inner subjectivity. In Adele’s portrait the swirls, patterns, and colors all reflect a dream-like world. As mentioned in the lectures, Sigmund Freud attributes the subconscious mind to the interpretation of dreams. For this reason, it is possible that in many of Klimt’s portraits elements of his dreams are depicted. However, his paintings were also very much influenced by his worldview regarding Japanese art. During this period, there was a development toward bridging the gap between Western and Eastern art that inspired many artists. For example, “Japanese water colors shown at Far East exhibitions in Paris in the late nineteenth century affected the compositions and palettes of Matisse, Whistler, and Degas”. Klimt was one of the artists inspired by Japanese art. Not only was Klimt inspired by Japanese art he was also “an avid collector of East Asian art objects, for example, woodcuts, ceramics, and textile designs”. These objects inspired Klimt when painting Adele Bloch-Bauer I. According to Sjaalstad “Japanese art as a whole is graphic, ornamental, linear and planar. These design principles greatly influenced Klimt’s approach to drawing and became an integral part of his style”. The ornamental influence is especially noticeable in how Klimt painted the dress, chair, and background of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Furthermore, Klimt was especially influenced by a historical school in Japanese painting; the Rinpa School. This school was known for using vibrant colors and ornamentation techniques such as gold leaf in their work. One of the most striking aspects of Adele’s portrait is the use of gold leaf. In the portrait there are similarities in the structure and detail with Japanese gold lacquer ware. With the entrance of Japanese art into Western culture a shift occurred. Here you see the relation between art and culture (and vice versa). They influence each other and may determine development in art and culture. Interestingly, in 2019 there was an exhibition of Klimt’s work in Tokyo. Even decades later Klimt and Japanese art are still bridging the gap. Despite living in Vienna all his life, Klimt did travel to Ravenna in Italy. Here he saw Byzantine mosaics in the San Vitale church that inspired and encouraged him. The mosaics “helped him achieve a maximum in his development of splendor which led the people portrayed far away from everyday life”. This is reflected in Adele’s portrait as Klimt’s symbolist style of painting together with the use of gold leaf make the observer almost enter a dream world.
Not only is Klimt well known for the use of gold leaf, Klimt’s paintings are also well known for featuring women as the subject. His paintings with women as the subject display the beauty of women. However, there is a difference between his various paintings of women. When he paints for himself, he is much more open and does not hold back. When he paints for a commission, he reels himself in and tries to paint according to what is more acceptable. Néret writes “his portraits of women always have the same expression of detachment — absently, melancholically they view the world — and the man — with the same cheerful look”. In Adele Bloch-Bauer I there is a definite sense of melancholy, but perhaps to a time when Adele was not a part of a culturally open minded but nonetheless strict Viennese social society, which for her never existed. Leo Tolstoy believed that “an artist’s chief job is to express and communicate emotions to an audience”. When looking beyond the beauty of the portrait, it can be interpreted by the audience that Adele may be frustrated by her class and riches. The slight awkward positioning of her hands might hint at a feeling of discomfort. As mentioned before, she had everything but was also restricted by the social and gender standards of her time. The gold leaf represents all her riches while this also deprives her of her freedom. The gold leaf represents the restrictions she faces in her social class. While the Vienna Secession marked the beginning of modern art in Austria, society largely still adhered to conservative rules. Adele grew up relatively secluded. She was not allowed to study and married young. Only through marrying and thus gaining some form of freedom was she able to explore interests such as art. Despite this, in Adele Bloch-Bauer I there is, not only a sense of mystery, but also a touch of rebellion against her class and restrictions. In many of his other paintings were women are the subject Klimt paints them sensually but with admiration. Interestingly, a common feature of symbolism were themes such as love, fear, death, sexual awakening, and unrequited desire. This is not immediately recognizable in the painting but upon further analyzation it does become clear that there is a certain love, desire, and sensuality portrayed. This is evident in the bared shoulders and neck, heavy-lidded eyes, rosy cheeks and lips. Perhaps Adele intended to rebel against her social class restrictions by allowing Klimt to paint her like this. This would not be surprising as the Vienna Secession was born out of rebellion against conservatism in art. As mentioned before, Adele might have been torn between tradition and emancipation. She is aware of the emancipation but held back by tradition. As many of Klimt’s paintings showcase women in a different light, he was most likely aware of this shift towards progression. His portraits “belong to the most important works of women on the threshold of a new age”. This may attribute to the idea of Klimt as a ‘genius’. A ‘genius’ is someone who has, according to Emmanuel Kant, “the mysterious quality in an artist that enabled him to create work with beauty”. An artist creates a piece that is recognizably beautiful to the observer while also setting an example for other artists. Klimt can be seen as a ‘genius’ because he created beautiful artworks that trailblazed the path for future artists to go against conservatism and look more towards emancipation. Klimt, in some way, changed how women were perceived.
Additionally, Klimt’s painting also relates to the imitation theory, which is as defined in the lecture slides, “the essence of art is to imitate or display things in the real world.” Elements such as the movement towards emancipation and admiration for women and the influence of the Byzantine mosaics are hidden in his work. Furthermore, Klimt is very much known as a symbolist painter and as mentioned before symbolist painters mostly abstain from naturalism. However, in the painting especially the hands and face are painted with a naturalistic influence. Thus, it is interesting to see how art styles can overlap. Nevertheless, Klimt might have been influenced to use a naturalist approach for Adele, herself, as the painting was a commission.
The intended audience for the painting initially were the commissioner, Adele’s husband, the Bloch-Bauer family and the Vienna cultural elite. During this time the portrait was most likely hung in a prominent place in the house of the Bloch-Bauer family. It was there for their appreciation however the painting could also have served as a point of attraction for guests. Guests would see the painting at parties or dinners which could in turn solidify or increase the Bloch-Bauer’s position and ‘power’ in Viennese society. On the other hand, the painting could also have abetted rumors in Viennese society. It was rumored that Adele and Klimt had an affair. The Adele erected a shrine to Klimt by hanging his paintings on the walls of her chambers. although these rumors were never confirmed. These rumors would correlate not only with the painting’s sense of love, desire, and sensuality that is portrayed but also with the idea that Adele perhaps wanted to rebel against social restrictions. Choosing an affair may have been one of the only actions women could secretly take to rebel against the choices that were always made for them. Sadly, Adele Bloch-Bauer passed away at a young age from meningitis in 1925. After her death the painting remained in the Bloc-Bauer house, however in 1938 Austria was annexed by the Nazi’s. This led to the cultural looting of the Bloch-Bauer residence, including Adele Bloch-Bauer I and four other Klimt paintings. Eventually the painting ended up in the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna and became known as the ‘Mona Lisa of Austria’.
Years later, in 1998 Austria announced it would start the restitution of art stolen from Jewish families by the Nazi’s. Thus Adele’s niece Maria Altmann, now living in the United States, claimed the paintings on the grounds that her Uncle Ferdinand, as the owner of the paintings, bequeathed the paintings to his heirs. Thus this overruled the reasoning Adele’s wish to have the paintings hang in the Belvedere Gallery. However, the Austrian government declined the claim. As the closest direct heir Maria Altmann began a legal battle in order to get the family’s paintings back. Eventually in 2006, after going through the US Supreme Court in order to sue the Austrian government and an arbitration panel, the paintings were restored to Maria Altmann. For Altmann it seems that the purpose of regaining ownership of her aunt’s portrait, besides obtaining justice for the wrongdoings of the Nazi’s and Austrian government, was primarily emotionally motivated. It meant reuniting with a family member who had been taken away, like so many Jewish families were torn apart.
After Adele crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the painting ended up in the Neue Galerie. The gallery has greatly advantaged from obtaining the portrait. The museum gift shop sells various items inspired by the portrait and Klimt’s work. Freeland suggests that “perhaps the power of the painter’s images or the musician’s sounds is eroded in reproductions so that we miss out on something that emanates from the original. Philosopher and social critic Walter Benjamin called this missing quality ‘the aura’”. This could certainly be true for gift shop items. Despite these items contributing to the globalization of the artwork, these items do not display the true vibrancy of the gold nor can they communicate the story behind the painting in its fullness. Nevertheless, in 2015 the battle of Maria Altmann and Adele’s portrait culminated into the 2015 movie ‘Women in Gold’. The movie made the painting’s history and battle come alive. According to Benjamin cinema “enhances sense perception through techniques like slow motion and close-ups”. Additionally a movie starring two of Hollywood’s leading actors can do nothing but attribute to the globalization of Klimt’s Adele Bloch-Bauer I. The story and the painting became known to a wider public who perhaps do not have the opportunity to visit the Neue Galerie and buy an ‘aura-less’ Adele Bloch-Bauer I notebook at the gift shop.
For me the artwork is a culmination of various elements that together portray the perfect image of a woman surrounded by all that she may want however feeling cloistered by these exact same things. At heart, my point of view of the painting is a woman in a golden cage, perhaps stuck or living in a dream world that could easily turn into a nightmare. It can be viewed as exceptionally beautiful or confined. This is a wonderful component about Klimt’s paintings, there is a lot of mystery surrounding them. Despite that, the story behind Adele Bloch-Bauer is extremely fascinating. Yet when I first saw the painting when I was younger, I thought it was one of the most beautiful paintings I had ever seen. Adele and the intricate details of her jewelry fascinated me the most. I never saw a deeper, darker underlying message behind the mask of gold. However, as one grows up so also emerges a new perspective on the painting. This just shows how the perception and interpretation of the observer can change as well.
