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Gustav Klimt Adele
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| Limited Edition:
8 Banners |
| Availability: Sold Out! |
| Price:
$979 |
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| Museum:
Neue Galerie |
| Exhibition:
Gustav Klimt: Five Paintings from the Collection of Ferdinand and Adele
Bloch-Bauer |
| Material:
Printed vinyl |
| Dimensions:
L: 96 " (244 cm) : W:35 "
(89 cm) |
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Description:
When Ronald Lauder bought Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait of Adele
Bloch-Bauer in 2006, the art world was abuzz. The painting is not only a
beautiful, world-famous masterpiece by an important Secessionist artist, but
also a work with a storied past spanning some of the darkest years of
Austria's history. Seized by the Nazis and exhibited for over 60 years in
Vienna's prestigious Galerie Belvedere national museum, the work was among
five Klimt paintings that were returned to their rightful heirs, the
Bloch-Bauer's descendants, only last year.
Lauder purchased the portrait from the Bloch-Bauer heirs just before the
five works traveled to New York for display at the Neue Galerie. That Adele
should end up in Lauder's repository for twentieth-century German and
Austrian art seems completely appropriate. The museum was flooded with
visitors who were anxious to see the work that had attracted such
attention - and such a high price tag. At a reported $135 million, the work
fetched the highest price ever paid for a painting.
Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is featured to full effect on
this banner. Her scale is only slightly larger than the original work,
giving the banner the wonderfully expansive feeling of the original
painting. The pale skin of her face, neck and arms are framed by an
elaborately gilded and ornamented gown and background. Her large brown
doe-eyes, upswept dark hair and vivid, supple red lips lend her a sensuous,
sophisticated air. The awkward pose of her hands hides a deformed finger
while giving Adele an insouciant and girlish naturalism. It is rumored that
Adele and Klimt were lovers, and to corroborate this, this painting is often
held up as "Exhibit A". It is certainly painted with respect, restrained
sensuality, exuberance, and a feeling of repressed longing.
Below the image is a black band with white text that reads "Gustav
Klimt/Five Paintings from the Collection of Ferdinand and Adele
Bloch-Bauer", "July 13 - September 18, 2006", and includes the museum's
information and website "Neue Galerie/Museum for German and Austrian Art/
New York", "www.neuegalerie.org". Both sides of this banners are
identical.
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| Provenance:
These banners were displayed around Manhattan from July 13 through September
18, 2006 to promote the exhibition, Gustav Klimt: Five Paintings from the
Collection of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer at the Neue Galerie in New
York. |
About the Artist:
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was a leader of the Art Nouveau movement known in
Austria as the Vienna Secession. In keeping with these ideologies, he
created works in many media including painting, murals, art objects, and
drawings. His sinuous style and embellished works are most recognizable
during his "golden phase" when gold leaf was applied to the painted surface
to luminous results. He drew upon influences from Egyptian, Greek,
Byzantine, and even Japanese art, and focused on symbols to convey ideas.
His subjects were often sensual, sexual, provocative women.
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| Color Scheme: Warm - |
| Style: Modern - |
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