LE ORIGINI

The Life of Klimt

ORIGINS

Gustav Klimt was born on the 14th of July 1862 in Baumgarten, a Viennese suburb, into a modest but artistic family. His father, Ernst Klimt, was a goldsmith with bohemian origins. His mother, Anna Finster, was an amateur opera singer who passed on her passion for music to her children. From a young age Gustav, the second of seven siblings, had an exceptional talent for drawing. Two of his brothers, Ernst and Georg, followed in his wake, working with him on important decorative commissions. Despite their economic struggles, this family atmosphere fostered Klimt’s creativity and set a solid base on which to build his future career.


IMAGE CAPTION

Photo of a young Gustav Klimt taken while he attended the Vienna School of Applied Arts (1876-1883)