Over a century after his death, the Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) continues to provoke with his persistent eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimental spirit. This monograph gathers all of Klimt's major works, accompanied by authentic historical art commentary and privileged access to the artist's archive.

With high-quality illustration, including new photography of the famous Stoclet Frieze, the book follows Klimt in his significant role in the Secession Movement in 1897, his candid portrayal of the female body, and the radiant "golden phase" during which gold leaf provided a lustrous hue and texture to beloved works like The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman in Gold.

Through luminous pages and carefully selected details, the monograph covers the repertoire of Japanese, Byzantine, and allegorical influences that shaped Klimt's flat perspectives, symbolic vocabulary, and mosaic textures. Drawing on contemporary critiques and voices, the book also examines the polarized reception of Klimt's works in the art world and his artistic journey. From his landscapes to erotic works and the controversial ceiling for the Great Hall of the University of Vienna, it becomes evident how Klimt's coexistence of tradition and daring provided grounds for divisions in the press and public—condemned by some as a pornographer, praised by others as a modern master.

Pages: 604, Year of Publication: 0729, Dimensions: 25x25cm