This authoritative and generously illustrated book highlights Gustav Klimt’s portrayals of women in his work. Klimt was a central figure in Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century, and a crucial link between nineteenth-century Symbolism and Modernism. His sensual portrayals of women are among his most celebrated works and the focus of this book. Highlights of the publication include Klimt's most important society portraits, such as Serena Lederer (1899); Gertrud Loew (1902); Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907); Ma&̈da Primavesi (1913); Elisabeth Lederer (1914–16); and Ria Munk III (1917). These works cover the gamut of Klimt's portrait style, from his early ethereal works influenced by Symbolism and the Pre-Raphaelite movement to his so-called "golden style," as well as his almost Fauvist depictions. These art works are complemented by preparatory Klimt sketches and decorative arts from the Wiener Werksta&̈tte.

National Bestseller The true story that inspired the movie Woman in Gold starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds. Contributor to the Washington Post Anne-Marie O’Connor brilliantly regales us with the galvanizing story of Gustav Klimt’s 1907 masterpiece—the breathtaking portrait of a Viennese Jewish socialite, Adele Bloch-Bauer. The celebrated painting, stolen by Nazis during World War II, subsequently became the subject of a decade-long dispute between her heirs and the Austrian government. When the U.S. Supreme Court became involved in the case, its decision had profound ramifications in the art world. Expertly researched, masterfully told, The Lady in Gold is at once a stunning depiction of fin-de siècle Vienna, a riveting tale of Nazi war crimes, and a fascinating glimpse into the high-stakes workings of the contemporary art world. One of the Best Books of the Year: The Huffington Post, The Christian Science Monitor. Winner of the Marfield National Award for Arts Writing. Winner of a California Book Award.

A selection of Klimt's portraits of women is accompanied by an analysis of the Austrian artist's painting

A founding member of the early twentieth century German avant garde artists' group "Die Brücke," Ernst Ludwig Kirchner moved to Berlin in 1912 and became enthralled by what he called "the symphony of the great city." He responded to the intensity of Berlin's street life by recording the urban spectacle around him--most notably in "Berlin Street Scene" (1913-14), which is widely considered one of the greatest German paintings of the twentieth century. This beautifully illustrated, scholarly volume--written and edited by the noted independent curator and art historian Pamela Kort--provides a full exploration of the history and significance of Kirchner's masterpiece. Featuring full reproductions and details of "Berlin Street Scene" and other related artworks, as well as plentiful documentary photographs and supporting materials, this volume illuminates the ominous force of nervous energy and sexual tension that Kirchner sensed lurking beneath the veneer of civilized life.

Gustav Klimt's art thoroughly expresses the apocalyptic atmosphere of Vienna's upper middle-class society - a society devoted to the cultivation of aesthetic awareness and the cult of pleasure. The ecstatic joy which Klimt and his contemporaries found - or hoped to find - in beauty was constantly overshadowed by death. And death therefore plays an important role in Klimt's art. Klimt's fame, however, rests on his reputation as one of the greatest erotic painters and graphic artists of his times. In particular, his drawings, which have been widely admired for their artistic excellence, are dominated by the erotic portrayal of women. Klimt saw the world "in female form". [site accessed 23/07/2012 - http://www.amazon.com/Gustav-Klimt-1862-1918-Basic-Art/dp/382285980X].

Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was known for his paintings of women--from classic portraits to erotic drawings. In this first survey of Klimt's approach to the female form, readers can view samples of his work and learn how fundamental changes in the social structure at the turn of the century raised women's status on ideological and cultural levels. 220 bandw, 133 color illustrations.