Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian symbolist artist which paintings, drawings and murals are marked by eroticism and sensuality. Klimt lived a simple, cloistered life, in which he avoided other artists and café society, but he had many discreet love affairs with women, and fathered at least 14 children. His passion for women and their forms and sexuality, was the main focus of a lot of his works. The majority of his paintings were characterized by golden with swirling designs.

During his life, even though Klimt was a controversial painter due to his favourite subject matter, he was made an honorary member of the Universities of Vienna and of Munich. He was also a founding member and president of the Vienna Secession, which sought to create a platform for new and unconventional artists, bring new artists to Vienna, and created a magazine to showcase its member's work.