100 Drawings

by Gustav Klimt, Alfred Werner (Introduction)

Gustav Glück, director of Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum, wrote as early as 1922 of Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) that his drawings were perhaps his ultimate artistic achievement. This founder of Secessionsstil and leader of the revolt against the Viennese academies was able to achieve greater freedom in his drawings than in his more laboriously executed paintings. While there are only about two hundred completed oils, the drawings number in the thousands, and are reported to have at times quite littered his studio. He himself considered them finished works, and often exhibited them alongside his paintings.
Klimt's subject matter is almost exclusively the female body, naked or half clothed. For this he earned the reputation of erotic artist, and while he did not suffer the outright persecutions of his successors Schiele and Kokoschka, he was nevertheless subjected to the trials that a frankly erotic artist had to undergo in Vienna, where the everyday subject of conversation was the current love affairs of celebrities but where audiences were shocked by the sight of a dancer's naked legs. An issue of Ver Sacrum which reproduced one of his drawings was confiscated by the authorities.
The drawings reveal above all that concern of great draughtsmen from Michelangelo through Blake the marriage of subtle grace and expressive dynamism that is the human body. Like that of these two past masters, Klimt's method is essentially linear. He knew, as they did, that line, rather than shading, the creation of volume or the use of color, is the natural medium for expressing the freedom of the living human form. As he matured as an artist there was an increasing awareness of this and a greater and greater spontaneity that approached, finally, "the lightness of a net of gauze."

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1972

About the author

Gustav Klimt was born in Baumgarten, near Vienna, the second of seven children — three boys and four girls. All three sons displayed artistic talent early on. His father, Ernst Klimt, formerly from Bohemia, was a gold engraver. Ernst married Anna Klimt (née Finster), whose unrealized ambition was to be a musical performer. Klimt lived in poverty for most of his childhood, as work was scarce and economic advancement was difficult for immigrants.

In 1876, Klimt was awarded a scholarship to the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts (Kunstgewerbeschule), where he studied until 1883, and received training as an architectural painter. He revered the foremost history painter of the time, Hans Makart. Klimt readily accepted the principles of a conservative training; his early work may be classified as academic. In 1877 his brother Ernst, who, like his father, would become an engraver, also enrolled in the school. The two brothers and their friend Franz Matsch began working together; by 1880 they had received numerous commissions as a team they called the "Company of Artists", and helped their teacher in painting murals in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Klimt began his professional career painting interior murals and ceilings in large public buildings on the Ringstraße including a successful series of "Allegories and Emblems".

In 1888, Klimt received the Golden order of Merit from Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria for his contributions to murals painted in the Burgtheater in Vienna. He also became an honorary member of the University of Munich and the University of Vienna. In 1892 both Klimt's father and brother Ernst died, and he had to assume financial responsibility for his father's and brother's families. The tragedies affected his artistic vision as well, and soon he would veer toward a new personal style. In the early 1890s, Klimt met Emilie Flöge, who, notwithstanding the artist's relationships with other women, was to be his companion until the end of his life. Whether his relationship with Flöge was sexual or not is debated, but during that period Klimt fathered at least 14 children.

--Wikipedia

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic collection of Klimt's drawings, dampened by a terrible introduction. Werner reduces Klimt's work to a strictly male sexual appreciation of the female body; Werner writes "to accomplish what he did he had to be thoroughly, completely familiar with his motifs. Actually, there was only one motif: the magic thrill a man experiences on seeing a female in the nude." I guess as a woman, enjoyment of Klimts drawings is beyond me? Klimt's art is often undeniably erotic, and this is never more apparent than in some of his sketches and drawings. But to state that a sexual appeal is all there is misses the point of Klimt completely. Werner doesn't stop there though. He also writes that Klimpt "was generally surrounded by nude models while working in his atelier...this was a method rather than a whim: the girls moved around with ease, lost the awareness of his presence and allowed the master to catch unselfconscious body attitudes. Thus he could contemplate them somewhat the way and animalier would study the forms and attitudes of dumb creatures." Yes, he actually wrote that. The beauty of this book is under-served by the stunningly narrow and misogynistic introduction.

On to the art - those only passingly familiar with Klimt will know him better for his gorgeous but heavily gilded paintings, often full of symbolic geometry and gold leaf. This collection draws the focus away from metallic veneer and color and draws the viewers eye to Klimt's female subjects exclusively. His pencil renderings are loose but beautifully delineated. Klimt does draw unselfconscious women, often in attitudes of repose. He also sketches beautiful portraits, of both old and young women. There is insight here into his work style, including some studies for a few of his paintings, such as his famous portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Klimt never fails to sketch his subject with empathy and insight, and consequently they are imbued with personality and laid bare in more than the literal sense.

[Noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what an awful introduction that was! Alfred Werner completely failed at grasping what Klimt's work is all about. No, it's not about "the magic thrill a man experiences on seeing a female in the nude". What a narrow male-entitled view. This guy literally compared Klimt's models to "dumb creatures".

Anyway.. I'm so so glad I bought this! It's such a great reference book that I'm gonna be coming back to a lottt. It's really difficult to find these drawings online so I'm happy with this. You know what I wish it included though? I don't know if it exists but I'm dying to see a drawing of Klimt's Judith.

[reveurdart · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Stefan Zweig later described the “sticky, sultry, unhealthy atmosphere” that prevailed in Imperial Vienna, with its “dishonest and unpsychological morality of secrecy and hiding.” Klimt wounded public sentiment by not considering any part of the human anatomy ugly, shameful or ignoble, and was made to suffer repeatedly for not playing the national game of falsehood." ― Alfred Werner in the introduction

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Klimt, excellent drawings.

[Jane Doe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book...the drawings are soft yet strong...lines that bring a calm while at the same time stimulating a deep earthy core. Love it.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful collection at the right price.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not much to the introduction of this book. The bulk of it consists of the one hundred black and white line drawings set against grey backgrounds.