Gustav Klimt and Viennese Art Nouveau in the Belvedere. All you want to know about the Iconic “Kiss” and its author

The National Gallery of Belvedere has the most impressive collection Gustav Klimt’s canvases. Regardless of which aspect of his art you are interested in, in the Belvedere, you will find his portraits of women, Attersee landscapes, and the prominent works of his “Golden Period”.

On the role of the artist

During this tour, we will focus on the specifics of Klimt’s works and you will see the deep discontinuity between the old and the new art, whose protagonist Klimt was. We will have a look at several notable canvases preceding the Art Nouveau era to feel the pathos of novel trends in art.

Klimt and his contemporaries

We will follow Klimt’s style transformations from his early Portrait of a Lady to the unfinished Adam and Eve. You will see his journey from “the painter of beautiful women” to “the father of Viennese Art Nouveau”. We will also have a look at the paintings of his associates for comparison to understand what set Klimt apart from them.

Art and science

We will discuss the link between art and science in Vienna at the beginning of the century, and you will learn why it is currently believed that Klimt sensed the desires of his models better than Sigmund Freud understood the problems of his female patients.

“The most famous Kiss”

It is impossible to miss “the most famous Kiss” in Vienna, as this double portrait looks at us from billboards and souvenir keychains. However, if you wish to see the original painting and understand what makes Klimt and his Kiss so famous, this short and intensive art tour of the Upper Belvedere will be perfect for you.