Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was born on July 14, 1862 in Baumgarten, Austria, near Vienna. He attended the Vienna Public Art School (Kunstgewerbeschule) at the age of 14 and opened a studio with his brother Ernst in 1883. He received training as an architectural decorator and early in his career he painted murals for churches, theatres and museums. He also painted mural decorations on the staircases at Burgtheater.

Klimt became co-founder of the Vienna Secession Movement in 1897, a movement that gave exposure to unconventional young artists and gave freedom from traditional culture.

In 1900, Klimt began to paint portraits of women. Klimt's influences include Byzantine mosaics, classical Greek and Egyptian inspirations.

Klimt suffered from a stroke on January 11, 1918 and died from pneumonia on February 6th at the age of 56.

Click below for some photos of Klimt and a few of his paintings:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39974385@N00/sets/72157594450687879/

Click on the link below for some non-scholarly information about Klimt in his relation to Alma Mahler:
http://www.alma-mahler.at/engl/almas_life/klimt.html