In 1862, Gustav Klimt, one of the most prominent Austrian symbolist painters, was born. Klimt primarily worked throughout Austria, but more specifically found great inspiration in Vienna. Klimt is especially known for his figurative works and the portraiture of women. Fortunately, I was able to observe firsthand one of Klimt’s works, Adele Blach Bauer II (1912), when visiting the Museum of Modern Art. In this painting, one can see the portrait of a real life woman standing as if a model female. While some may claim that Klimt’s depiction of women as restrained, traditional figures suggests that he accepted the limited role females held in society; However, his use of modesty and conformity in Adele Blach Bauer II expresses that he is actually critiquing society’s expectations of women. In addition, his lively use of luxury and beauty in Adele Blach Bauer I (1907) reveals the potential that Klimt believed women could reach, if not trapped by the expectations of the masses.
Standing at 6’ 3” by 3’ 11”, Adele Blach Bauer II is a magnificent oil portrait on a canvas. The portrait was commissioned by Ferdinand Bloch, a wealthy industrial tycoon who was almost twice Adele’s age at marriage. The work was staged in her own house in Vienna, Austria. After first viewing this piece up close, there are a few features which strike me immediately. The way the model is spaced and placed so submerged within the work itself gives off a sense of conformity. It seems as if Adele’s body is actually settled into the background of the piece. The background colors– bright pink, red, blue, and green–evoke a sense of liveliness and energy. The style of background represents the society that women lived in during the early twentieth century. Contrasting with the vitality of the background are the colors of Adele’s dress. The shadowy tan and blue colors of her dress represent a lack of energy and dynamism. It seems as though Klimt was conveying a typical introverted woman who is limited within the boundaries of her society. Furthermore, the posture and stillness of the woman creates a mood of tranquility and serenity. These features arguably represent the submission of all females to the patriarchal society, which dominated cultures across the globe.
Subsequently, when analyzing the details of the woman herself, I began to notice the obscure messages and attributes of Adele. The big, round black hat that covers Adele’s hair suggests opulence and wealth. I then noticed the complexity of different textures and colors on Adele’s dress, which was another hint at the state of affluence Adele lived in. During the post-industrial revolution in Europe, there was an economic boom, and the rich only got richer. Simultaneously, women’s positions on the social hierarchy descended more and more. Women were presumed to be inferior to their husbands, and of not much importance. Klimt’s elaboration on grandeur alludes to the elite class and their traditional ideals.
Despite all this, the confidence of Adele’s head posture, and the high, prominent platform that Klimt places her on indicates that this woman did have some progressive, dynamic qualities. The woman now takes on a character of superiority, intellectuality, and respectability. However, moving closer, I then examine the facial expression of the woman at hand. I now see a face of emotionless defeat. The woman seems unamused and tiresome. This must have been a direct reference to her role in daily life, during this predominantly male era. Such an expression expresses a sense of frustration, yet she seems to surrender to her subservient rulers. It is as if Adele is fed up with the viewer looking at her the way she is portrayed.
Ultimately, I then contrasted the work I saw directly with another work by Klimt. The predecessor to the aforementioned portrait is Adele Blach Bauer I. After briefly exploring this specific piece, I arrived at the conclusion that there are identical messages and themes; yet both pieces are conveyed in polar ways. While Adele Blach Bauer II was a portrait illustrating the common perception of women, Adele Blach Bauer I does the exact opposite. The first portrait of Adele was created in 1907 and shows a different identity of the model. Similarly, like the other portrait, Adele is modeling for Klimt in a typical portrayal. In this frame, Adele seems to be jumping out of the background with a sense of livelihood and energy. The dominance of gold coloring represents a greatness and richness of her character. The use of gold also suggests a newfound sense of power. The gold is ultimately a reference to royalty and positions of authority. Moreover, Klimt uses many different shapes when creating this entire work. With so much complexion and variation, Klimt is offering a view of a woman who has a diverse and multifaceted personality. It can be inferred that with this piece, Klimt presents the authenticity of women, rather than society’s model character. After contrasting these two pieces I see that the underlying theme is now stressed much more clearly—Klimt genuinely believed women were greater than what society considered them to be.
Klimt was not just a revolutionary when it came to the symbolism of art, but rather he was also a pioneer for the women’s rights movement. Klimt had the ability to approach issues from many different angles leaving the viewer with their own opinion and perception. By portraying differing works, one being the commonly accepted and one being the subversion of convention, Klimt was able to give women a voice in such a difficult setting. One could say that Klimt could have potentially set the stage for the already momentous feminist movement and the 19th amendment- granting women’s suffrage- which was ratified only 7 years after the completion of Adele Bach Bauer II. Klimt certainly exemplified the influence a great artist can have on his or her era, and the consequences which can follow. Klimt’s use of blatant criticism through contrasting perspectives, not only makes his work singular and unique, but also makes it tremendously relevant and consequential.
Adele Blach Bauer II- MoMA
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