From Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford: Gustav Klimt was one of the leading artists of Vienna in the late nineteenth century. He perfected a highly ornamental, flat style for both his paintings – portraits, allegories, and landscapes – and his many wall decorations. This is one of his earliest paintings, and its meticulous illusionism, profile poses, costumes, and architectural details evoke Italian Renaissance art. These vividly rendered details are, however, set against an abstract background, heralding the sumptuous surfaces and abstract compositions that characterize Klimt’s mature style.
