Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt, 1907. On display at the Neue Galerie, 1048 5th Avenue.
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is a beautiful and historically significant Art Nouveau painting. The wife of an Austrian sugar magnate, Adele Bloch-Bauer is the only model to have been painted twice by Klimt. Her first, and most well-known, portrait was completed in 1907. The piece is a striking example of Klimt’s unique style. The artist eschews representational color and form, favoring instead elaborate patterns and ornamentation. Brilliant jewel-toned colors peak out from the sheets of sparkling metallic, enchanting the viewer with symbols, hieroglyphs and mosaics of color and light.
The painting’s history and provenance have been the subject of much controversy. Nazis stole the piece from the Bloch-Bauer family in 1938. Marie Altmann, Adele Bloch-Bauer’s neice, fought for ownership of the stolen work. Altmann was finally named the rightful owner of the portrait in 2006. She subsequently sold the painting to Robert Lauder, founder of New York’s Neue Galerie.
I tried to capture Klimt’s sumptuous color palette and playful embellishment in the Inspiration Board below. There is a richness of texture in his paintings that is echoed in the velvet, fur, and hammered metals.
Clockwise from left:
ABS by Allen Schwartz One-Shoulder Sequined Dress, $335 at Bloomingdales.
Embossed Dot Bangle, $28 at Topshop.
Black faux fur wrap by Etsy seller alexbridal, $59.99 on Etsy.com.
Classic Murano glass bracelet, $48 on Tensanremo.com
Rolling Gems Ring, $98 at Anthropologie.
Edie Velvet Chaise in Ink Blue, $579 at Urban Outfitters.
Gold Glam Ceramic Bowl, $49.95 at Pier 1 Imports.
Black Lacquer Console Table not available for sale.
Want more inspiration? You can view Gustav Klimt’s work at several museums in New York. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is currently on display at the Neue Galerie. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has two beautiful portraits on view, including the ethereal Serena Pulitzer Lederer. The stunning Hope, II is part of MOMA’s permanent exhibition.
If you’re interested in the theft and recovery of Klimt’s famous portrait, then you should watch the film Adele’s Wish or read the book The Rape of Europa, an excellent account of the widespread art looting during World War II.
art binge 