IN-SIGHT: Gustav Klimt

In 1917, the last year of his career, Gustav Klimt started working on one of his largest paintings, the allegorical work The Bride. His unexpected and premature death in February 1918 prevented him from finishing this painting. A now iconic image by Klimt’s favorite photographer Moriz Nähr shows The Bride together with Lady with Fan—itself the subject of an exhibition at the Upper Belvedere in 2021/22—in the painter’s studio in Vienna’s Hietzing district.

Klimt’s last studio sets the scene for this exhibition with a spotlight on the encounters that took place there between the artist and important people in his life. Sources include reports by his fellow painters Egon Schiele and Felix Albrecht Harta, the writings of Arthur Schnitzler and the Japanese art connoisseur Kijiro Ohta, in addition to accounts from Friederike Beer-Monti, who was portrayed by Klimt, and his patrons Eugenia (Mäda) Primavesi and Serena Lederer.

The Bride itself is the focus of the exhibition, contextualized with numerous pencil drawings in which Klimt had carefully worked out many of the figures. Further studies can be found in the artist’s last sketchbook before his death. A large range of these studies are now being shown to the public, allowing direct comparison with the painting. As part of the preparations for the exhibition, in-depth technical analysis, including X-rays, was conducted on the painting and the results will also be presented.

Finally, the exhibition will also relate the history of the painting from its creation to the present. It was initially in the possession of Klimt’s unwavering life companion and heiress Emilie Flöge. Later it was acquired by Klimt’s first illegitimate son Gustav Ucicky. In the 1920s the work was regularly shown at exhibitions. Following the incorporation of Klimt’s last allegory in the collection of the not-for-profit Klimt Foundation in 2013, The Bride has been on loan to the Belvedere since 2014.

The exhibition is a joint project between the Belvedere and the Klimt Foundation, Vienna.

Curated by Franz Smola (Belvedere) and Sandra Tretter (Klimt-Foundation, Vienna).