Gustav Klimt

Death and Life

1910

Klimt’s large painting features not a personal death but rather merely an allegorical Grim Reaper who gazes at “life” with a malicious grin. This “life” is comprised of all generations: every age group is represented, from the baby to the grandmother, in this depiction of the never-ending circle of life. Death may be able to swipe individuals from life, but life itself, humanity as a whole, will always elude his grasp. The circle of life likewise repeats itself in the diverse, wonderful, pastel-coloured circular ornaments which adorn life like a garland. Gustav Klimt described this painting, which was honoured with a first prize at the 1911 International Art Exhibition in Rome, as his most important figurative work. Even so, he seems to suddenly no longer have been satisfied with this version in 1915, for he then began making changes to the painting—which had by that time long since been framed. The background, reportedly once gold-coloured, was made grey, and both death and life were given further ornaments. Standing before the original and examining the left interior edge of Josef Hoffmann’s frame for the painting, one can still discern traces of the subsequent over-painting, which was done by Klimt himself.

469 notes
Posted 1 year ago on Friday 4 May 12.
  1. swaying-tree-man reblogged this from fireflaxen
  2. laurdarab reblogged this from kaylaholdren
  3. she-wrote-the-sky reblogged this from ladylindy
  4. sagittarianism reblogged this from thewingsofdaedalus
  5. athazagoraphobia-x reblogged this from plzgoaway-everyone
  6. fuckheaded reblogged this from bottledblue
  7. bottledblue reblogged this from crimson-rosebud
  8. emonomancy reblogged this from fetishofsilence
  9. mycuminyourcoffee reblogged this from zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  10. ronniinterrupted reblogged this from a-lion-among-ladies
  11. a-lion-among-ladies reblogged this from kaylaholdren and added:
    -1?'https':'http';var...
  12. mystic-sybil reblogged this from ros3bud009
  13. ros3bud009 reblogged this from scuttlebuggy
  14. scuttlebuggy reblogged this from haleyth
  15. odundleerdasmeer reblogged this from octopustrickery
  16. hanachana reblogged this from princessgarynuman
  17. collective-schadenfreude reblogged this from filledwithroses
  18. filledwithroses reblogged this from welcometomywonderland
  19. lick-my-legs reblogged this from welcometomywonderland
  20. wicked-assassin reblogged this from plzgoaway-everyone
  21. r0siepie reblogged this from grotesque---burlesque
  22. grotesque---burlesque reblogged this from welcometomywonderland
  23. welcometomywonderland reblogged this from grotesque---burlesque
  24. cokehoechanel reblogged this from andykoes
  25. tatty-tude reblogged this from m0dernwaste
  26. pathoftheseawitch reblogged this from m0dernwaste
  27. m0dernwaste reblogged this from andykoes
  28. andykoes reblogged this from lamourdegalets
  29. pampampam reblogged this from octopustrickery
  30. its-gr8 reblogged this from zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  31. nolovedeepweb reblogged this from fetishofsilence
  32. kaylaholdren reblogged this from bilgervti
  33. sailorbunny reblogged this from blood-sample
  34. anuptafobia reblogged this from alexandlife
  35. alexandlife reblogged this from fetishofsilence
  36. whisperwillingly reblogged this from sassholio
  37. rippedvanwinkle reblogged this from sassholio