Key Works: Gustav Klimt

These works by Gustav Klimt showcase the Austrian Symbolist’s famous depictions of sensual women. In one of his most famous works, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907), we see an iconic depiction of one of his favorite models, Adele Bloch-Bauer. This work was, famously, stolen by Nazis from the sitter’s Jewish family and wasn’t returned to the family until 2006. Bloch-Bauer also sat for Hygieia (1900–07) and is suspected to be the woman in The Kiss (1907–08). Klimt’s women appear undeniably sensual while simultaneously referencing the strong, unattainable women of Greek mythology, the Byzantine Empire, and the Bible.