History of a painting. "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" Gustav Klimt

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In 2015, The Woman in Gold directed by Simon Curtis premiered with Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds in leading role, which tells the story of Maria Altmann, who is trying to return to the family a portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer - one of the masterpieces painted by Gustav Klimt.

"365" studied the paintings of the Austrian master in order to unravel who these women are, who mysteriously look at us from his canvases.

Gustav Klimt was born on July 14, 1862 in the Austro-Hungarian city of Baumgarten in the family of the engraver and jeweler Ernest Klimt. There were seven children in the family: three boys and four girls. By the way, all three of Ernest's sons became artists.

First, Gustav learns to draw from his father, but then he enters the Vienna Art and Craft School at the Austrian Museum of Art, where he specializes in architectural painting. Then the model for Gustav was the artist Hans Makart, a representative of academicism. And by the way, unlike most young artists of that time, Klimt agrees with the canons of academic painting and does not oppose the principles of conservative academic drawing.

Gustav, his brother Ernst and their friend Franz Match worked together since 1880 - they decorated theaters and museums with frescoes. In 1888, Gustav Klimt was awarded the "Golden Cross" - it was presented to him by Emperor Franz Joseph for services to art. But after some time in Klimt's life comes crucial moment: his father and brother die, and all responsibility for the family falls on Gustav.

These events could not pass without a trace - artistic look Klimt is changing, it begins to develop own style. In 1897, Klimt headed the Secession - artistic association innovators, created as a counterweight to conservative representatives of art. Gustav Klimt is the founder of Art Nouveau in Austrian painting. In his works, you can often find a clear silhouette and ornamentalism. . Generally, The main subject of his work is the female body. Most of his paintings are permeated with eroticism.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)

The painting is also known as "Golden Adele" or "Austrian Mona Lisa".

Adele - daughter CEO Vienna Banking Union. In 1903, Gustav Klimt received an order for a portrait of Adele from her husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, but the painting "Golden Adele" was released only in 1907 - in four years, Klimt made more than a hundred sketches for her. This painting is considered one of the most significant works of the artist.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II (1912)

This portrait, among other works by Klimt, hung in Adele's home until her family was arrested by the Nazis during World War II. The Austrian Museum, in which the painting ended up after the war, refused to return it to its owners. But after the trial, this and several other paintings by the artist were returned to Maria Altmann, the niece of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, in 2006.

Judith with the head of Holofernes

Judith - heroic image a young woman who saved her Jewish people from Assyrian captivity by cutting off the head of the enemy commander Holofernes.

The story of Judith has inspired many artists in the history of world art. Klimt also presented Judith as a seductress, bold and desperate. Here she is the fatal winner. The girl comes out of the tent of Holofernes, still half-naked, in her hands she carries the head of the enemy. Despite her haughty look, Klimt's heroine remains fragile and feminine.

The portrait was created in 1901. The model was his beloved Adele Bloch-Bauer, daughter of the general director of the Vienna Banking Union. Although Klimt did not advertise the fact of her posing.

The work caused controversy. Judith was not happy in marriage, and the victory over Holofernes became a kind of challenge to the entire male society. No wonder Klimt portrayed her deliberately sensual, in golden tones, which means a symbol of triumph.

Three Ages of Woman (1905)

In the painting, Klimt depicted the cycle of life: on the one hand, a peaceful young woman with a child in her arms, on the other, an old, depressed woman. They even contrast with colors that set the mood: youth is depicted as bright, radiant, while old age is gray and doomed. Art critics call the cycle of life - one of central motives artist's works.

Danae (1907-1908)

The painting "Danae" is an illustration of the myth of Zeus. According to this myth, he fell in love with the girl Danae and, in order to possess her, shed golden rain, after which Danae gave birth to Perseus. Klimt discards all the details and captures exactly the moment of love between Zeus and Danae. Despite the fact that many of the artist’s paintings are characterized by an erotic motif, Danae is the most explicit of his works.

Lady with a Fan (1917-1918)

Creating an image oriental woman in this picture, Gustav Klimt did not depict any particular woman, here the image is a collective one. Grace and elegance served as models for the picture.

Lady with Hat and Boa (1909)

Despite the fact that we see only part of the lady's face, almost just one glance, the artist was able to convey in it all the strength of her character. Despite the fact that her body is completely closed, the picture is not without eroticism: it, again, conveys this look full of confidence and mystery.

Portrait of Fritz Riedler (1906)

At first glance it seems that this portrait of the wife of a government official is utterly modest. But this is only at first glance: taking a closer look at her face, we see a restrained sensuality: a half-open mouth, a blush. Yes, and the chair on which she sits is decorated with "peacock eyes" - symbols with sexual overtones.

Hope I (1903)

Germa worked as a model to support her family. After Germa became pregnant, she wanted to leave her job, but Klimt could not allow one of her favorite models to leave. It turned out to be a very touching portrait: despite the deep look of the expectant mother, expressing calmness, in the background we can see frightening grimaces that can be deciphered as threats and fears for the child.

Maiden (1913)

Klimt's "Maiden" is the story of the transformation of a girl into a woman. main character the picture is sleeping peacefully, her expression is also serene, immaculate, you can see the nightgown. And at this time, more sophisticated and sensual women penetrate into her dream, which heroine has yet to become. But this world has already got very close to the girl, enveloped her.

The Girl with the Blue Veil (1903)

In this work, the artist paid a lot of attention to the model's hair: he carefully worked it out, and the color of the background and veil contrasts beautifully with the color of the hair. They are the main decoration of the girl. Despite the open body, the picture turned out to be moderately restrained, not overtly erotic. There is an assumption that the model was Germa, familiar to us from the painting "Hope I".

Text: Anna Simonaeva, Sofia Zubareva

The history of the painting, known to the whole world as "Golden Adele" or "Austrian Mona Lisa", can be called a detective story. The reason for its creation was the husband's revenge for a love affair with his artist's wife Gustav Klimt, the painting remained intact during the Second World War, and in the post-war period "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" became the subject of contention between Austria and the United States.

In 1904, the sugar refiner Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer found out about his wife's infidelity. All Vienna was talking about the affair between Adele and the artist Gustav Klimt. He found in love affairs an inexhaustible source of inspiration, his many hobbies were widely known. And so that the rival would quickly get fed up and leave his mistress, Adele's husband came up with an original way: he ordered Klimt a large portrait of his wife, in the hope that by posing and being too often next to the artist, she would quickly get bored with him.

Ferdinand approached the issue of drawing up a contract with all seriousness: he knew that Klimt was a sought-after artist, and his paintings were profitable investment capital. In addition, in this way he would be able to perpetuate his last name.

Adele Bloch-Bauer was the mistress of a fashion salon where poets, artists and other representatives of the creative elite of Vienna gathered. Here is how her niece Maria Altman recalled her: “Suffering, constantly suffering from a headache, smoking like a steam locomotive, terribly tender and languid. Soulful face, smug and elegant.

The artist agreed to the proposal to paint a portrait of Adele. The amount of the reward was very decent. Klimt worked for 4 years, during which time he created about 100 sketches and the famous Golden Adele. If the artist had any kind of relationship with the model, then during this time they really stopped.

In 1918, at the age of 52, Klimt died. Adele outlived him by 7 years. Before her death, she asked her husband to bequeath three paintings, including her portrait, to the Belvedere Museum. Until 1918, the portrait was at the disposal of the Bloch-Bauer family, and from 1918 to 1921. - in the Austrian state gallery. In 1938, Austria became part of Nazi Germany. Because of the beginning of the Jewish pogroms, Ferdinand had to leave his home and all his property and flee to Switzerland.

During the war, the collection was confiscated by Germany and transferred to the Austrian gallery. because of Jewish origin the author and the models, these canvases did not fall into the collection of the Fuhrer, but still they were not destroyed. Allegedly, Hitler met with Klimt back in those days when he tried to enter the Academy of Painting in Vienna, and he positively assessed his work. However, there is no reliable evidence of this.

After the war, the "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" ended up in the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, and would have stayed there until now, but one day the will of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer was discovered, in which he bequeathed all his property to his nephews - the children of his brother. At that time, only Maria Altman remained alive, who fled to the United States during the war and received American citizenship. Litigation lasted 7 years, after which Mary's right to own five paintings by Gustav Klimt, including the Golden Adele, was nevertheless recognized.

Then all of Austria was alarmed. Newspapers came out with headlines: "Austria loses its relic!", "We will not give America our national treasure!". But it still had to be done. Maria agreed to leave the paintings in Austria if they paid her market value- 300 million dollars! But this amount was too large, and the canvases went to the United States, where they were bought for $ 135 million from the heiress Ronald Lauder for his gallery in New York. The Austrians are now content with only souvenir products with images of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Few people know that the dress for the "Golden Adele" was created by Emilia Flege.

Gustav Klimt. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1907

This story involves: Gustav Klimt, the femme fatale Adele Bloch-Bauer, a painting worth 135 million dollars, niece Maria Altman, the US government and Austria.

ABOUT THE MODEL AND THE ARTIST

Let's get to know Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Adele's father, Moritz Bauer, a major banker, Chairman of the Association of Austrian Bankers, was looking for worthy suitors for his daughters for a long time, and chose the brothers Ferdinand and Gustav Bloch, who were engaged in sugar production and had several enterprises whose shares were constantly growing.

Adele Bauer in 1899, being 18 years old, married the much older Ferdinand Bloch. Prior to that, her sister Maria married the brother of Ferdinand Bloch - Gustav. Both families took the surname Bloch-Bauer.

Maria Altman, niece and heiress of Adele Bloch-Bauer, described her aunt as follows: “Constantly suffering from a headache, smoking like a steam locomotive, terribly tender and languid. A soulful face, self-satisfied and elegant.” Ferdinand and Adele's family belonged to a select layer of the big Jewish bourgeoisie of that period.

Painters, writers and such famous social democrats as Karl Renner and Julius Tandler gathered in their salon. Gustav Klimt was also among the artists who were supported by the Bloch-Bauer family.
Their friendship began in 1899. Adele Bloch-Bauer became the model for paintings by Gustav Klimt four times and did not suspect that in addition to world fame her name will be involved in the scandal.

Already in 1901, Klimt wrote "Judith I", for which Adele Bloch-Bauer herself served as a model, although this fact was not advertised anywhere. Eight years later, Klimt wrote Judith II. Both paintings are the embodiments of Klimt's femme fatale. His Judith is not a biblical heroine, but rather a Viennese contemporary of his, as evidenced by her fashionable, perhaps expensive neckpiece.

The picture "Judith II" is often called "Salome" in catalogs and magazines. Art critics were sure that Klimt had in mind Salome, a typical femme fatale, about which books and canvases by Gustave Moreau, Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, Franz von Stuck and Max Klinger were published at the end of the century.

Klimt's friend Alfred Bass wrote in his diary: “When I saw Gustav's Salome, I realized that all the women I knew so far were not real. When I saw his "Kiss" - I realized that I never really loved. When I saw the sketch for "Judith" - I realized the worst thing is that I did not live at all, and if I did, it was an unreal life "

INTERESTING VERSION

They say that the husband knew about the connection of his wife Adele with Gustav Klimt and when signing the contract for new picture set several conditions, including
for the artist to draw 100 sketches. Ferdinand hoped that Adele would get tired of Klimt with such a long posing. Like it or not, he was right.

In 1903, Klimt received an order from Ferdinand Bloch for an official portrait of his wife. Over the next four years, the artist created more than 100 sketches for the painting, before in 1907 he was able to present to the public his “Golden Adele”, on which the model was 26 years old. The artist came up with the idea for the painting right away, and it took one hundred sketches to accurately determine the position hands and head. This portrait, often referred to as " Austrian Mona Lisa", is considered one of the most significant paintings of Klimt.

LET'S LOOK CLOSER GOLDEN ADELE

An elegant female figure sits in a chair. free space there is no above and below it, it occupies the entire vertical of the picture. The image of the head appears to be cut off at the top. Black, pulled up hair and a disproportionately large red mouth contrast with extremely pale, almost blue-white skin.

The woman holds her hands clasped in a dynamic curve in front of her chest and looks directly at the viewer, thereby enhancing the visual impact. A shawl is thrown over the figure-hugging dress. It flows, expanding from the hands to the lower edge of the picture. Gold tones also predominate here. The neckline of the dress is decorated with a thin border of rectangles and wide band with a double row of triangles.

Then a pattern of randomly arranged stylized eyes inscribed in triangles was used. A cape with an ornament of spirals, leaf shapes and barely marked folds seems a little lighter than a dress.

They say that Klimt painted his portraits from nude models, and only then covered the bodies with flat ornamental clothes. Perhaps so, but what the Puritan public called "perversion" literally oozes from this canvas. But at the same time, the artist accurately depicted a young woman, tired of her own respectability, from rich life turned into a golden cage and wants to break free.

Only the face, shoulders and arms were depicted naturally. The interior, together with the flowing dress and furniture, is only marked and, turning into an ornament, they become abstract, which corresponded to the color palette and forms that Klimt used at the turn of the century.
The armchair, also golden, stands out against the general background only thanks to the pattern of spirals - it completely lacks any shadows, halftones or contours. A small light green fragment of the floor brings a color accent to the overall range and helps to give stability to the figure.
In 1912, the artist paints another portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

THE FATE OF THE PICTURE

Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer acquired in addition to the first "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" and the second - "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II", as well as four more landscapes: " Birch Grove”, “Kammer Castle on Lake Attersee III”, “Apple Tree I”, “Houses in Unterach am Attersee”.

The finished “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” in 1907 was immediately exhibited in the artist’s studio in Vienna and appeared in the same year in the magazine “ german art and scenery", and then on the international art exhibition in Mannheim.

In 1910, the portrait was in the Klimt Hall as part of the IX international exposition in Venice. Until 1918, the portrait was not exhibited and was at the disposal of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer. From 1918 to 1921 - in the Austrian State Gallery.

Adele Bloch-Bauer died on January 24, 1925, leaving a will in which she asked her husband to transfer two of her portraits and four landscapes by Gustav Klimt to the Austrian State Gallery after his death. But he did not, transferring only one landscape to the Austrian gallery.

During the war, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer fled first to Czechoslovakia and then to Switzerland. Pictures along with for the most part his fortunes remained in Austria. His fortune and art collection were expropriated by the Nazis. In 1941, the Austrian gallery bought Klimt's paintings "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" and "Apple Tree I"

Adolf Hitler had a positive attitude towards the work of Gustav Klimt. They met with Klimt when Hitler was trying to enter the Academy of Painting in Vienna. Then Klimt was already an honorary professor of this academy. At that time, Hitler made his living by drawing small pictures of views of Vienna and selling them to tourists in restaurants and taverns.

Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer died on November 13, 1945 in Zurich. Before his death, he canceled in his will the donation of paintings to Austrian museums. Since Ferdinand and Adele had no children, Ferdinand appointed his brother's children, Maria Altman, Louise Gutmann and Robert Bentley, as heirs. Shortly before his death, he hired the Viennese lawyer Rinesh to protect the interests of the heirs.

In 1946, Austria declared all legal acts created by the Nazis invalid. However, when returning art treasures confiscated by the Nazis to their owners, Austria used the tactics of voluntarily-compulsory transfer of artistic masterpieces to museums in exchange for permission to take out the main part of their collections from the country.

The same thing happened with five paintings by Klimt: they remained in the Austrian Gallery in exchange for the fact that the heirs of the Bloch-Bauers were able to take out the main part of the collection. It would seem that history could be put an end to, but in 1998 Austria passed the Law on restitution of art objects, which obliged the return of works of art looted by the Nazis, and allowed any citizen to request information from museums about how works of art got into their funds.

In the same year, an Austrian journalist, working in the archives, discovered documents in which the transfer of Klimt's paintings to the Austrian Belvedere Gallery was falsified. If you remember, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer in 1936 gave the gallery only one landscape.

A series of articles followed on this subject, and the only living heir of the Bloch-Bauers, US citizen Maria Altman, having learned about this, went to court. In February 2006, the famous "Golden Adele" and four more paintings by Klimt after the trial "Maria Altman against the Republic of Austria" by decision of the international court became the personal property of 79-year-old Maria Altman, who lived in Los Angeles since 1942.

At the same time, the Austrian government declared its desire to keep Klimt's works in the country. Austria has taken measures unprecedented in the history of the state to save national treasure: negotiations were underway with banks for a loan to buy paintings, the country's government turned to the population with a request for help, intending to issue "Klimt bonds".

The public announced a fundraising subscription, and donations began to come not only from the Austrians. However, the price of $150 million requested by Maria Altman soared to $245 million and then to $300 million within a month. Angeles.

Maria Altmann had a rare chance to enter the history of Austria by showing nobility and leaving Klimt's paintings in his homeland. Of course, not free of charge, because the initial assessment of 150 million dollars was considered in Austria as fair compensation. However, the subsequent doubling of prices and Altman's intransigence, of course, did not add sympathy to this elderly woman in the artist's homeland.

In addition, the will of Adele Bloch-Bauer herself, who wished to transfer the paintings to the Austrian Gallery, was actually violated. Paradoxically, the Nazi regime, as it were, carried out Adele's will by transferring Klimt's paintings to the gallery. It should be noted that the portraits of Adele, despite the rampant anti-Semitism in Austria at that time, were exhibited in the museum during the Nazi era.

In early February 2006, more than four thousand Austrians and visitors to Vienna came to the Belvedere Gallery to last time see five paintings by Klimt that have passed into private hands. "Golden Adele" calling card Viennese gallery Belvedere, she long years was placed on the covers of catalogs and albums about the museum.

On February 14, 2006, the paintings flew across the ocean, and already on June 19, a report appeared in the newspapers that Ronald Lauder had purchased "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" for $ 135 million and placed it in his New Gallery in New York. Now residents and guests of New York can admire the "Golden Adele", and everyone else can see famous painting Klimt on souvenirs.
In addition to two portraits of Adele, three landscapes were also handed over.

On February 7, 2011, Maria Altman died, but her heirs, even with their great desire, could not donate Klimt's paintings to the Austrian gallery Belvedere, since all of them have already been sold to private individuals.

See text with illustrations here.http://maxpark.com/community/6782/content/3200699

This is history, featuring the genius Gustav Klimt, the femme fatale Adele Bloch-Bauer, a $135 million painting, Adolf Hitler, niece Maria Altmann, the US government and the people of Austria.

ABOUT THE MODEL AND THE ARTIST

Let's get to know Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Ferdinand Bloch.

Adele Bauer in 1899, being 18 years old, married a much older man. Ferdinand Bloch . Prior to that, her sister Maria married the brother of Ferdinand Bloch - Gustav. Both families took the surname Bloch-Bauer.

The family of Ferdinand and Adele belonged to a select layer of the big Jewish bourgeoisie of that period.

Painters, writers and such famous social democrats as Karl Renner and Julius Tandler gathered in their salon.

Among the artists supported by the Bloch-Bauer family was Gustav Klimt.

Their friendship began in 1899. Adele Bloch-Bauer became a model for paintings by Gustav Klimt four times and did not suspect that in addition to world fame, her name would also be involved in a scandal.

Judith I, 1901,

Already in 1901, Klimt wrote "Judith I", for which Adele Bloch-Bauer herself served as a model, although this fact was not advertised anywhere.

Judith II, 1909

Eight years later, Klimt wrote "Judith II" are the incarnations of Klimt's femme fatale. His Judith is not a biblical heroine, but rather a Viennese contemporary of his, as evidenced by her fashionable, perhaps expensive neckpiece.

The picture "Judith II" is often called "Salome" in catalogs and magazines. Art critics were sure that Klimt was referring to Salome, a typical femme fatale, about whom books and paintings by Gustave Moreau, Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, Franz von Stuck and Max Klinger came out at the end of the century.

Interesting version.

They say that the husband knew about the connection of his wife Adele with Gustav Klimt and, when signing a contract for a new painting, he put several conditions, including

for the artist to draw 100 sketches. Ferdinand hoped that Adele would get tired of Klimt with such a long posing. Like it or not, he was right.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer 1907 or GOLD ADELE

The artist came up with the idea of the painting right away, and it took a hundred sketches to accurately determine the position of the hands and head. This portrait, often referred to as the "Austrian Mona Lisa", is considered one of the most significant canvases of Klimt and the Austrian Art Nouveau in general.

An elegant female figure sits in a chair. There is no free space above and below it, it occupies the entire vertical of the picture. The image of the head appears to be cut off at the top. Black, pulled up hair and a disproportionately large red mouth contrast with an extremely pale, almost blue-white carnation.

The woman holds her hands clasped in a dynamic curve in front of her chest and looks directly at the viewer, thereby enhancing the visual impact.

Then a pattern of randomly arranged stylized eyes inscribed in triangles was used. A cape with an ornament of spirals, leaf shapes and barely marked folds seems a little lighter than a dress.

They say that Klimt painted his portraits from nude models, and only then covered the bodies with flat ornamental clothes. Perhaps so, but what the Puritan public called "corruptedness”, literally oozes from this canvas.

But at the same time, the artist accurately depicted a young woman, tired of her own respectability, of a rich life, turned into a golden cage, and wanting to break free.

The armchair, also golden, stands out against the general background only thanks to the pattern of spirals - it completely lacks any shadows, halftones or contours. A small light green fragment of the floor brings a color accent to the overall range and helps to give stability to the figure.

In 1912, the artist paints another portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II, 1912

Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer acquired in addition to the first "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" and the second - "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II", as well as four more landscapes: "Birch Grove", "Kammer Castle on Lake Attersee III" "Apple Tree I" , "Houses in Unterach am Attersee".

Finished "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" in 1907 was immediately exhibited in the artist's studio in Vienna and in the same year appeared in the magazine "German Art and Decoration", and then at the international art exhibition in Mannheim.

In 1910, the portrait was in the Klimt Hall as part of the IX international exhibition in Venice . Until 1918, the portrait was not exhibited and was at the disposal of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer. FROM 1918 to 1921 gg. in the Austrian State Gallery.

During the war Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer fled first to Czechoslovakia, and then to Switzerland . The paintings, along with most of his fortune, remained in Austria. His fortune and collection of paintings were expropriated by the Nazis. In 1941 Austrian gallery bought Klimt's paintings "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" and "Apple Tree I"

Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer has died November 13, 1945 in Zurich . Before his death, he canceled in his will the donation of paintings to Austrian museums.

Since Ferdinand and Adele had no children, Ferdinand appointed his brother's children, Maria Altman, Louise Gutmann and Robert Bentley, as heirs. Shortly before his death, he hired the Viennese lawyer Rinesh to protect the interests of the heirs.

It would seem that history could be put an end to, but in 1998 Austria passed the Law on the Restitution of Art Objects, which obliged the return of works of art looted by the Nazis, and allowed any citizen to request information from museums about how the works of art got into their funds .

Maria Altman

At the same time, the Austrian government declared its desire to keep Klimt's works in the country. Austria took measures unprecedented in the history of the state to save the national treasure: negotiations were underway with banks for a loan to buy paintings, the country's government turned to the population with a request for help, intending to issue "Klimt bonds".

In early February 2006, more than four thousand Austrians and visitors to Vienna came to the Belvedere Gallery to see for the last time five Klimt paintings that had passed into private hands. "Golden Adele" was the hallmark of the Belvedere gallery in Vienna, for many years she was placed on the covers of catalogs and albums about the museum.

In addition to two portraits of Adele, three landscapes were also handed over.

Birch Grove.

Apple tree.

Houses in Unterach near Attersee, 1916

On February 7, 2011, Maria Altman passed away, but her heirs, even with their great desire, could not have donated Klimt's paintings to the Austrian Belvedere gallery, since all of them had already been sold to private individuals.

Sources.

Description

The face and hands, realistically painted in cold colors, are the visual dominant in the perception of the picture, standing out from the rest of the elements, executed ornamentally. The composition of the canvas is divided into two vertical parts: Adele Bloch-Bauer is depicted on the right, the left part is almost empty and contains only a hint of the interior. The bottom third of the canvas fills the hem of her dress. Gustav Klimt refused to depict perspective depth in the painting, preferring flatness. The ornamental gold of the background pushes the outlined space into the background. The walls, the chair, and the dress of the model turn out to be just two-dimensional figures placed side by side.

A graceful female figure, which can be seen upon closer examination, sits in an armchair. There is no free space above and below it, it occupies the entire vertical of the picture. The image of the head appears to be cut off at the top. Black, pulled up hair and a disproportionately large red mouth contrast with an extremely pale, almost blue-white carnation. The woman holds her hands clasped in a dynamic curve in front of her chest and looks directly at the viewer, thereby enhancing the visual impact.

A shawl is thrown over the figure-hugging dress. It flows, expanding from the hands to the lower edge of the picture. Gold tones also predominate here. The neckline of the dress is decorated with a thin border of rectangles and a wide stripe with a double row of triangles. Then a pattern of randomly arranged stylized eyes inscribed in triangles was used (see the symbolism of the All-Seeing Eye). A cape with an ornament of spirals, leaf shapes and barely marked folds seems a little lighter than a dress. The armchair, also golden, stands out against the general background only thanks to the pattern of spirals - it completely lacks any shadows, halftones or contours. A small light green fragment of the floor brings a color accent to the overall range and helps to give stability to the figure.

Model - Adele Bloch-Bauer

Among the artists who were supported by the Bloch-Bauer family was also Gustav Klimt, who since 1899 had been friends with Adele Bloch-Bauer. Already in Klimt wrote "Judith I", a semi-act depicting the biblical Judith. Adele Bloch-Bauer herself served as the model, although this fact was not advertised anywhere. In 1909, a "Judith II"- and on this canvas, it is very likely that Adele is depicted.

Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer acquired in addition to the first "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" and the second - "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II", as well as four more landscapes: "Birch Grove", Kammer Castle on Lake Attersee III "Apple Tree I", "Houses in Unterach am Attersee". A "Portrait of Amalia Zuckerkandl" was also purchased.

The history of the creation of the canvas

It is noteworthy that the main idea of the picture already existed on this early stage. Only the exact position of the model remained controversial, primarily the position of the hands and head.

Technique and style

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer refers to golden age in the work of Klimt. In 1903, during a trip to Italy, the artist was inspired by the richly decorated church mosaics in Ravenna and Venice, ancient language which he transferred to modern forms visual arts. He experimented with various techniques painting in order to give the surface of their work a new look. In addition to oil painting, he used the technique of relief and gilding.

Only the face, shoulders and arms are depicted naturally. The interior, together with the flowing dress and furniture, is only indicated, turning into an ornament, it becomes abstract and does not give any spatial orientation, which corresponds to the color palette and forms used by Klimt in 1898-1900.

After Austria waived the right of first refusal to purchase paintings, five paintings by Klimt - "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I", "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II", "Birch Grove", "Apple Tree I" and "Houses in Unterach near Attersee" , estimated at $ 300 million, were brought to Los Angeles on February 14, 2006, where Maria Altman had lived since June 19, a report appeared in the newspapers that Ronald Lauder had purchased "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" for $ 135 million . The portrait has since been in the New Gallery founded by Lauder in New York.