Klimt. Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse...

The exhibition »Klimt. Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse...« at the Belvedere in Vienna presents the painting genius Klimt in the context of like-minded, international artists. On display are a total of 90 objects by Klimt and his companions, including Vincent van Gogh, Margaret MacDonald-Mackintosh, Auguste Rodin, Edward Munch, Henri Matisse, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Claude Monet. They are all united by a desire for renewal, a radical break with traditional conventions and the modernization of art at the turn of the century.

The Klimt Foundation has loaned three important paintings for this unique exhibition:

Mädchen im Grünen (Girl in the Green, c. 1898), a subtle portrait presumably of Maria Ucicka, the mother of Klimt's first-born son Gustav Ucicky, whose application of paint reveals both subtle Impressionist borrowings and a free, Expressionist brushstroke.

Girlfriends I (The Sisters) (1907), a double portrait of two fashionable ladies in winter costumes, whose narrow vertical format and composition hint at Japanese models or the poster art of Toulouse-Lautrec. They are presumably two of the Wiesenthal sisters, whose innovative dance performances, for example in the famous Fledermaus cabaret, Klimt attended several times.

The Bride (1917/18, unfinished), Klimt's last major work, which remained on an easel in his last studio at Feldmühlgasse 11 (formerly 9, Vienna-Hietzing) after his death, alongside Lady with Fan (1917/18, unfinished, privately owned). In this sensual allegory, various artistic influences culminate in Klimt's independent, unmistakable formulation.

This epochal show, which was created in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam, is on display until May 29, 2023.