Gustav Klimt

Klimt was one of the leaders of the Vienna Secession, an artists' organization founded in 1897 to promote modern art. He became known for his highly stylized compositions, characterized by curvilinear patterns and rich ornamentation. In the more private medium of drawing, he was freer to develop his highly sexualized vision of women. After 1905--the year he resigned from the Secession--the majority of his drawings were devoted to the female nude. The style of this drawing, which relies on line alone to suggest form and volume, is typical of Klimt. Free, gestural drawing developed in Vienna under the influence of Rodin, who was held in great admiration by members of the Secession, and by Klimt in particular.