Gustav Klimt (1862–1918)

Sorry Taschen, but you've just been dethroned from being the publisher of my favourite book about Gustav Klimt's artwork. Sure, you outweigh this book by 20-odd pounds (you're tome is by far the weightiest) and you may be more complete (this is only a selection), but the presentation here is by far the most approachable. The author pairs each chosen art piece with a maximum one-page of text, which gives her just enough room to explore some of the painting's major themes without overwhelming show more the reader. In some cases she also includes an inset image for quick comparison, making her discussion that much more seamless as readers don't hvae to flip throughout the book to find referenced works (a serious annoyance of mine in pretty much every single art book. Even weaving in some alrger comparisons throughout Klimt's oeuvre, the author manages to keep her text concise and readable - a laudable achievement considering the typical rambling that academia encourages and her obvious passion for her subject matter. Besides the simple and accessible layout that initially won me over, it may be her clear lack of boring "professionalism" that kept me engaged with the text. Too many art historians strive to remain aloof from their subject matter in an effort to retain their professionalism, but this often results in dry, unengaging narrative. We as readers come here to learn, but we also come as fans who want to be inspired, so having a more personal tone really sets Payne apart, as we can see and be encouraged by her personal interest in Klimt's work. It almost astrounds me that poeple can be dispassionate about Klimt's work in particular, because so much of his subject matter deals with passion and inspiration, resulting in riotous works of art. show less

Give me an oversized art book about an artist whose work is larger than life, and I’m one happy reader. I’ve read at least a dozen books about Klimt, and yet I’ll never stop coming back for more! Besides the monumental Taschen publication that’s almost too heavy to lift (and yet, I lugged it home from the library in the middle of a snowstorm), this edition is a close second in terms of page spread - if not in overall volume. Author Maria Costantino keeps the introductory text show more manageable, with a preamble that describes Klimt’s life and social/cultural surroundings without getting into the weeds. Interspersed are a selection of photographs of Klimt, works that inspired him, and a scattering of his own works that are crucial to exemplifying the text or which aren’t worth getting into the details of later. This is a bit of an odd move, by all standards for art books, but I actually appreciate it, as it gives us some additional context without spending too much precious whitespace later on. Once we get into the real meat of the book, I was impressed by the simple layout which paired brief text with well-reproduced artworks. Costantino’s commentary may not have been the most engaging (she’s a fan, but the passion is less pronounced than in other books), but her words provide quality insight into a great range of material. The large size of the reproductions was an obviously pleasurable indulgence, since Klimt’s embezzled and intricate work deserves as minute as possible observation by viewers, and the range of pieces reproduced here spanned the prolific artist’s earliest (derivative) work to the portraits that remained unfinished after his death. I may tend to get caught up in his richly embellished “gold era” - and the stories of the characters who were his subjects - but the chronological presentation here revealed a lovely evolution of style and the full breadth of the artists’ capabilities. show less

I’ve read enough publications from Taschen’s art portfolio that I’ve become incredibly sceptical about the authorial quality, but I was happy to not find myself immediately annoyed with this book. It’s much smaller in volume than most of the other art books I’ve read, so the temptation to skip reading in lieu of absorbing strictly the artwork was much lessened and I was determined to read the book cover to cover. I did achieve this goal, but unfortunately found myself frustrated show more again due to the author’s hyper-focus on the aspects of sexuality that he perceived in Klimt’s work. Obviously there are many aspects of his interpretations that I agree with (for example that Klimt’s women were extremely forward in their aspect for the time period, and the way that he presented nude figures was certainly unique), but his over-use of certain terminology became tedious and at times seemed to imply a sense of disdain for female sexuality and the female form as presented by Klimt. Obviously Néret’s academic subject when it came to art critique was centered around eroticism, but I came into this book expecting an broad (but brief) overview of Klimt’s work not a detailed critique of a singular theme. Taschen may know how to style and print beautiful books, but the recurrent theme of inadequate authors seriously gets on my nerves. show less

The Gustav Klimt collection of the Wienmuseum mostly consists of odd bits and pieces other museums and collectors didn't want, sketches and drawings in preparation of other works. Presenting the final work alongside these sketches would have helped most readers of this catalogue. The catalogue includes one example of what might have been achieved by such an approach: The highlight of this catalogue is the detailed sleuthing and documentation of the people depicted in his painting of the show more interior of the Burgtheater. Many persons still remain unidentified in this 19th century Facebook. show less