Klimt 150th Birthday celebrated with Google Doodle
Today when you visit the Google Homepage you will find the Google Doodle celebrating the 150th Birthday of Gustav Klimt. If you do not know who Gustav Klimt is do not feel alone, I am sure that millions of people do not know much about Gustav Klimt and will click on the Google Doodle today to learn more about Gustav Klimt.
Who was Gustav Klimt
According to the Wikipedia article about Gustav Klimt he was an Austrian Symbolist Painter. He were a prominent member of the Vienna Secession movement and some of his major works included sketches, murals, painting and art objects. Gustav Klimt was obsessed with the Female body and most of his work is known for eroticism and naked female bodies.
Gustav Klimt July 14, 1862 – February 6, 1918
Klimt was born in Vienna, Austria on July 14, 1862 in the town of Baumgarten. He was the second born child of seven children. Klimt parents were not rich and he lived in poverty for most of his early years. In 1876 Klimt received a scholarship from the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts where he received formal education in the arts. Klimt completed his studied at the Vienna School of Arts in 1883. Some of Klimt’s earliest murals can be seen in the kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
In 1888, Klimt received the Golden order of Merit from Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria for his contributions to murals painted in the
in Vienna. He also received a honorary member ship from the University of Vienna and the University of Munich for his art work.
In 1892 Klimt’s father passed away, and he had to provide for his family. It is speculated that his father’s passing had a huge effect on Klimt and some speculate that the death of his father steered his art work in a whole new direction. 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.
Gustav Klimt Art
He was known for being scandalous, but also for staying true to his passions – both on canvas and in his romantic affairs. His most famous painting, “The Kiss,” has been reproduced in every way thinkable – on coffee cups, glasses cases, shopping bags and dozens of other everyday items. They all pay homage to Gustav Klimt, who has become the figurehead of Art Nouveau style.
In 1907, Klimt painted what would become one of his most famous works – the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, the daughter of a Viennese banker, with strikingly realistic facial features and a hefty portion of gold. It became the most expensive artwork in the world when it sold to an American businessman for $135 million in 2006.
Klimt’s use of creative materials makes his artworks unique. He had found a niche that was free of competition from other artists. The drawback was, however, that his ornamental style and authentic character made it impossible for him to become a professor of art.
About the Klimt Google Doodle
The designers of today’s Google doodle have used actual art work from Kimt in the Google Doodle. In today’s Google Doodle the background of the Google Doodle is the Adele Bloch-Bauer I, this sold for a record $135 million in 2006. Neue Galerie, New York.
Source: Wikipedia
