Vienna Art of My Choice
Today we went to the Belvedere Palace museum and the most featured artist was Klimt. His work tends to feature gilded aristocratic women with gold leaf, containing completed patterns. His women were confident, seductive, or dignified. There was one piece that was very different that caught my eye titled: “Mother With Two Children (family)”. This time the color and excitement is in the faces. It was made in 1909-1910. Rather than a bright metallic or patterned background, large swatches of black, blues, and browns create the background. This makes the bright faces of the exhausted, but pure family, stand out. Their skin is a creation of looser, colorful strokes. To me they seem opalescent, which helps to show the beauty of their humanity among darkness of poverty.
I believe that this piece is important because it was different from Klimt’s usual work. He was the top aristocratic painter of the elite in Vienna and he was highly sought after. His subject matter was almost never those in want or need. By painting this family so beautifully, I feel like there is a message being said here, that maybe that they matter too, even though they are not adorned in expensive things. I love its simplicity and the tender emotions imbued here. I love it so much more than his other work because it seems to be deeper in meaning and less superficial. By having it here in this gallery it tells us more about Klimt and his range of ability and focus. He was famous and anything that he paints outside the norm is notable.
By having this piece next to the others, it helps us to understand the people of Vienna a bit more. There was aristocracy and high end families commissioning portraits, while there were simultaneously families that were struggling that were not normally the subject matter of art. By giving us this insight, this piece is contributing to this museum’s range of representation. It is also a moving piece that made me stop and stare for quite a while. Kaia and I talked about how good art makes people have higher forms of thought, which is a huge part of creating cultural capitals, and I would certainly classify this piece as good art.
I love you and this post Anna, and Klimt! I totally agree that this piece feels really different from Klimt's other work. I really liked what you said about the piece being insightful. It gives us another look at Vienna and its people. I think an important part of being a cultural capital is understanding your culture, and to do so you need to understand your people.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Anna! I think you're right that this piece gives us understanding into a range of representation. With that, we have seen how art has played a major role in cultural capitals. The collection of "good" art has been present in each of the cities we have visited. Also, I feel honored to be mentioned in your post *blush*
ReplyDeleteAwesome post Anna!! I loved this painting as well because it was so different from his other work we saw! To me this shows that artists don't fit into a box, and therefore Vienna does not either. Art reflects the people and ultimately the culture.
ReplyDeleteHey Anna! Loved this post! I also loved this painting and I love how you pointed out this piece is pretty different from the rest of his art. I think this is a good example about how artists can do so many things and don’t necessarily fit into one category, which also reflects on Vienna as a city! People and culture have such an impact on it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post Anna! I like how you said that this helps represent people that are normally not in art. Klimt and most artists relied on commissions and only painted rich people who could afford to pay for art. Here he painted those who also lived in Vienna and are now forgotten but live on in his art. Vienna is not just full of rich people but all classes.
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