Biography of the Austrian Artist and Symbolist Gustav Klimt Essay

Biography of the Austrian Artist and Symbolist Gustav Klimt - Essay Example Here he sharpened his artistic skills following in the footsteps of his mentor and favorite artist, Han Makart. After graduating from the school in 1883, Gustav worked jointly with his brother Ernst and Franz Matsch a co-student. They opened a studio where they displayed art from other artists such as Laufberger’s graffiti designs for the Art Historical Museum. In 1886 they received a prize for their design for the decoration of the staircases of Burgtheater2. The painting depicted who’s who in ordinary life in Vienne. Soon after their career kicked off they separated and went separate ways. Gustav’s first professional job was when he was asked to make a painting of Ringstrasse. At this time Vienna was in the Ringstrasse Era a period when the city was undergoing great change3. The Vienna city was built as one massive ring, and arts were being patronized as never before by the bourgeois class. The city was entering an age of industrialization, science and research . However, it still lacked a revolutionary spirit to the arts. In1883he received a nomination for the professor at Vienna Academy but he was rejected. 1888 saw Klimt receive the award for Golden Order of the Merit from Emperor Franz Joseph 1 of his native country. He then became an honorary member of University of Vienna and University of Munich both of which he never attended. This was in recognition of his art projects within and around Vienna. Four years later his brother Ernst and his father died and it is not clear whether these deaths were the main cause for his new rebellious and experimental style of art or his earlier rejection to the professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts by the Ministry of Culture. Since then his art changed. Gustav replaced his earlier classical iconography and replaced it with strong sensual themes. This was first depicted in his painting of 1894when he was appointed to paint some portraits to hang in the dome of University of Vienna.