Symbolism & Aestheticism · 1862–1918 · Austrian

Gustav Klimt

In his “golden phase” Klimt applied real gold leaf, inspired by the Byzantine mosaics he saw in Ravenna in 1903. The Kiss and the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer are its best-known works.

Across 6 works, the colors are mostly brown (56%), yellow (23%) and black (7%). On average the canvases are light, moderately saturated and warm. Signature colors, used far more here than across the collection: light amber gold, gold, golden umber, amber brown and light gold.

Color print

The swatches covering most of these canvases, averaged over every work, dark to light.

• MG 183 golden umber 6.8% of canvas
• MG 037 light amber gold 5.3% of canvas
• MG 175 stone 5.1% of canvas
• MG 039 gold 4.7% of canvas
• MG 222 charcoal 4.6% of canvas
• MG 182 golden umber 4.6% of canvas
• MG 165 amber brown 4.6% of canvas
• MG 166 amber brown 4.1% of canvas
• MG 174 warm grey 4.1% of canvas
• MG 038 light gold 4.0% of canvas
• MG 176 taupe 3.7% of canvas
• MG 034 amber 3.1% of canvas
• MG 033 light amber 3.1% of canvas
• MG 173 putty 2.9% of canvas
• MG 184 umber 2.8% of canvas
• MG 223 soot 2.7% of canvas

Measurements

Lightness

0.56

Contrast

0.44

Vividness

0.056

Warmth

+0.93

Complexity

177 cells

Hue range

0.39

Focus

0.06

Composition

Averaged over 6 works: 51% of the visual weight in the left half, 55% in the upper half; symmetry 0.48; 22% calm space; half of the detail in 32% of the canvas. Measured from each image, not a rule the painters followed.

Works

• Judith I, 1901
• The Three Ages of Woman, 1905
• Danaë, 1907
• Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1907
• The Kiss, 1907
• Woman With a Fan, 1917