Gustav Klimt's Contributions to Art

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Literacy Research Paper: Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was born in Baumgarten near Vienna in Ausrtia-Hungary on July 14, 1862(Eva Di Stefano pg. 20) and passed away on February 6, 1918. Gustav was the second of seven children which included three boys and four girls. Klimt's mother, Anna Klimt aspired to be a musical performer(Lisa Florman). Gustav's father, Ernst Klimt was formerly from Bohemia, was a gold engraver. Gustav was an Austrian symbolist painter and was one of the major members of the Vienna Secession movement. Gustav was mainly noted for his paintings, murals, sketches and other objects. Klimt's primary subject was the female body, in which he loved to do a lot(Eva Di Stefano pg. 20)
Gustav attended the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts in which he lived in poverty(Eva Di Stefano pg. 20). Gustav Studied architectural painting until 1883. He looked up to Hans Makart who was Vienna's most historical painter of the time. In 1877 his brother, Ernst Jr, who, like his father(Eva Di Stefano pg. 20), would become an engraver as well enrolled in the school. The two brothers and their friend, Franz Matasch, began working together and by 1880 they had received numerous commissions as a team that they called "Company of Artist"(Eva Di Stefano pg. 22). This group also helped their teacher in painting murals in the Kunsthistorisches Musem in Vienna which I find to be very helpful and I feel like that helped shaped Gustav to become a better person. Klimt started his professional career painting interior murals and ceilings in large public buildings on the RingstaBe, which included a successful series of "Allegories and Emblems(Gustav Klimt pg. 35)
In 1888 Klimt received the Golden Order of Merit from Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria ...

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... 1918, Klimt suffered a stroke while at home that left him paralyzed on his right side(Eva Di Stefano pg. 158). He was admitted to the Fürth Sanatorium and later moved to the Allgemeine Krankenhaus (General Hospital). Klimt died at the hospital on the morning of February 6 following a lung infection as well as the influenza epidemic. Numerous paintings by Klimt were left unfinished. Klimt's paintings have brought some of the highest prices recorded for individual works of art.
Klimt shaped his time as well as the time now by being different and not trying to please everyone with his paintings but by just doing what he enjoyed the most. Klimt reflected more of the future than he did his own era. Klimt was a dare to be different guy and I feel like thats how most successful artist are now. With that being said, I feel like Klimt paved the way for many artists today.

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