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Gustav Klimt

He was the son of Ernst, an immigrant gold engraver, 
his devoted mother Anna was a gifted musician-
Austrian painter Gustav Klimt was but one of seven children, 
all three talented sons were in constant competition. 

In 1876 he attended Vienna School of Arts and Crafts,
an architectural painter he was training to be-
The Golden Order of Merit from the emperor he received, 
and became an honorary member of Munich’s university.

Losing his father and his brother took a pitiful toll, 
the tragedies affected his artistic vision and style-
But he met his companion Emilie Floge; life turned around,
and fathered fourteen children all the while. 

Klimt took summer holidays with Emilie’s family,
off the shores of Attersee and painted landscapes there-
He became president of the Vienna Succession, 
provided exhibitions for other starving artists who cared. 

In 1894 he was commissioned to decorate the ceiling
in the famous University of Vienna’s Great Hall-
All three paintings were overly sexual and too disturbing,
so, they ended up being destroyed out of rage after all. 

Klimt’s Golden Phase was positively successful, 
many of his paintings from this period utilized gold leaf-
His first use of gold is traced back to Pallas Athene (1898),
taking small trips to Venice inspired his gold motif.

Most of his routine models were prostitutes,
posing in any way that would please his desire-
He was a highly erotic man who loved women,
but his dear Emilie was always his greatest fire. 

He died in Vienna on February 6, 1918 from a stroke, 
his paintings are some of the highest priced individually-
He lived a life of complicated freedom with pride,
yet placed a special importance on spirituality. 

Klimt never painted a self-portrait of himself,
he thought there was nothing special about his silhouette-
If someone wanted to see who he really was, 
he’d say, “look at my paintings and you won’t forget”.


Klimt Poetry Contest
December 13, 2017

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