When you think of Gustav Klimt, you think of golden shimmer, ornamental patterns, and those unmistakable portraits like The Kiss or Judith. That’s why it surprised me to learn — only recently — that Klimt has a quiet presence in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM).
Not with one of his iconic paintings, but in the very fabric of the building itself. In 1890, when the museum was nearing completion, the young Klimt, together with his brother Ernst and their friend Franz Matsch, was commissioned to decorate the grand staircase. They painted eleven spandrels and lunettes, filling the soaring interior with allegories of ancient civilizations and the history of art.
I have to admit, I walked past these paintings several times without really noticing them. They don’t call out with gold or modernist daring — they blend into the marble, mosaics, and gilded ceilings. Yet once you know they’re there, it feels like a secret connection: Klimt’s hand, already showing a sense for detail and drama, hidden in plain sight.
For me, it was a reminder that Klimt didn’t emerge out of nowhere. He trained, collaborated, and painted within the conventions of his time before breaking away to become the star of the Viennese Secession. Standing in the staircase, you can almost sense the tension between tradition and the new — a foreshadowing of the artistic revolution to come.
Have you ever discovered an early work of a famous artist that changed how you see their later masterpieces?
Special Insights ✨
- Klimt’s group was called the Künstler-Compagnie; they took on commissions for theaters, museums, and public buildings in Vienna.
- The staircase paintings at the KHM depict ancient cultures: Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and medieval art.
- Ernst Klimt died young (1892), Franz Matsch stayed more traditional, while Gustav became the radical innovator.
- Together, their work still adorns not only the KHM but also the Burgtheater in Vienna.
Leave a Reply