5 comments about Gustav Klimt: 1862-1918 (Basic Art).

1. The format of this book is wonderful -- the pages unfold to become full 20x22" images. This is a perfect size for a poster or teaching aid -- IF the image quality weren't so poor! I wanted to like this book, really... but I've seen Klimt's work in person as well as in many other books, and the reproductions here are just so dull and grainy. Rich violets appear brown; the firey red hair in several pieces looks very subdued. "The Kiss", shown on the front cover, shows the couple with skin that is positively green. And the golds that Klimt is famous for, while I appreciate that they must be difficult to photograph, just do not come across.

   I would have gladly paid more for this book if the publishers could have reproduced it better. It is obvious they intended this to be a picture book -- there are literally only two pages of writing -- so it would make sense to give the best reproductions possible! Even using a glossy paper instead of the dull matte finish would have given a better presentation.

   If you are interested in truly appreciating Klimt and his work, I would recommend Taschen's posterbook for large, good quality reproductions. I also would recommend "Silver, Gold, and Precious Stones" from the Adventures in Art Series. This is geared toward a younger audience, but it beautifully laid out and presented, and actually uses a gold finish on the areas with gold leaf (nice touch!).




2. Klimt's art, whether one is a fan or not, is seen everywhere. Rarely can one spend much time in a college dormitory before running into "The Kiss" or another poster of Klimt. This book itself is a nice collection of his various artworks over his career. However, the text leaves much to be desired. To the author's credit, he avoids taking at face value many of the risque rumors that surround Klimt's life. Instead, the author attempts to psychoanalyze him, and the "crisis of the male liberal ego." This seems quite a trick, as the author even admits that Klimt was rather reticient about talking about himself or leaving a paper trail of his life. As such, and especially by removing the rumors from the equation, the author seems to have blessed little to go on to try and delve into Klimt's mind. In this regard, I must agree with Barzun - this type of psychological history is questionable at best. If you do consider purchasing this work, do it for the artwork - don't bother yourself with the text.



3. Gustav Klimt loved to draw women--men were just a prop, and rarely depicted in his work. He drew some of the most beautiful and dream-like pictures of women I have ever seen. Except for his society portraits, his women are always mythological, often nude, and sometimes very pretty. His painting style was very complex, colorful and elaborate, very decorative and intricate, full of symbolism and ancient mythical archetypes and motifs. Although a quiet man himself, Klimt's creative soul was very expressive. This book contains his best paintings, as well as a few surprises, like erotic drawings of women "playing with themselves."

   David Rehak
   author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"




4. I didn?t pay much attention to the description of the book, something that proved to be an error. Unfortunatly, i intented to buy a large book with paintings in a more adequate size, and this book is to small to really capture the details of Klimt?s work, despite of its fine printing.



5. Spend more. get a bigger book. the painting are worth it.

No comments about Gustav Klimt: Coloring Book (Colouring Books).

1 comments about Gustav Klimt: Painter of Women (Pegasus).

1. This small volume is almost a tapestry of the vibrant colors the artist used in his unparalleled depictions of women. Termed by some the enfant terrible of turn-of-the-century Vienna, his work nonetheless often represented the confounding relationship between artist and society women at that time.

   A lifelong bachelor and known profligate, Klimt was eclectic in his tastes, showering his favors upon wealthy patrons as well as poor models.

   Although still a controversial figure, letters that have come to light in recent years allow the author to reexamine Klimt's relationships and offer readers a fresh look at the paintings inspired by these women.

5 comments about The Painted Kiss: A Novel.

1. This novel, written from the point of view of Gustav Klimnt's mistress, provides a vicarious peek into the life of the Viennese bohemians known as the Successionists. The story will be appreciated by those who like fictional takeoffs on the life of famous artists.



2. This imagined relationship between Gustav Klimt and Emilie Floge does not really engage the reader. Rather than presenting a sensual love story, both characters come across as cold and detached. The "supporting cast" is equally haughty and unsympathetic.
   
   In addition to producing exceptional art, Klimt also produces numerous children by his various "models" yet accepts no responsibility for them, and Emilie seems steeped in doubt about eveything from her feelings for Klimt to her ability to produce fashion designs without his input. (Could they be the Viennese version of Brittany and K-Fed??). If you love Klimt's art, as I do, read about the "real" man and pass on this fictionalized version of his life. It definitely leaves much to be desired. 1 1/2 stars



3. I grabbed this book from the library shelf, just looking for anything to take home before my kids totally lost their minds. It sounded interesting, so I thought it was worth a shot. I was wrong, it was worth far more than just a cursory glance.
   
   A terrific book, compelling and interesting. I can't believe this a debut novel; I am so excited to read more by this author.



4. I read this novel over a year ago, but was inspired to read it again after a visit this summer to the Neue Galerie in NYC, which now houses Klimt's most famous painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer. (Ms Hickey should be pleased to know that her book is perched on a display stand next to the cash register in the Neue Galerie's bookshop.) I found the author's choice of Klimt as a subject a compelling one, and overall I enjoyed this novel very much. The only big question I'd have is about the pacing. Events toward the end get rather rushed along (WW I is here - oh, it's over) whereas toward the beginning scenes feel more drawn out. The author's second novel, The Wayward Muse, suffers less from pacing, so perhaps that's just a debut-novel thing. Both here and in The Wayward Muse, Hickey keeps her prose largely lean and to the point, which serves the subject matter well. It was interesting to stand in front of the painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer, remembering how Hickey had characterized her!
   
   A few reviewers of this book here on amazon have complained about accuracy issues. In my opinion, for a novelist to use artistic license is not a problem as long as it's done in the service of the story, remains faithful to the spirit of the real person/time period, doesn't change clearly observable facts, and doesn't try to deceive the readers into thinking what is made-up really happened or that the fiction-writer has "discovered" some previously hidden "secret" (see: Dan Brown, don't get me started). While not being a Klimt expert myself, I didn't come away thinking Hickey had done him an injustice with her novel. She's certainly straightforward in her author's notes about her intentions and her artistic choices. She looked for 'windows' where she can create her story, which is how it should be.



5. Elizabeth Hickey's 'The Painted Kiss' is often compared to Tracy Chevalier's 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' for obvious reasons. Both novels deal with an otherwise shy, lowerclass girl falling in love with a painter. This novel was a great read, and i recommend it to anyone who has an interest in art or a mellow historical romance.

3 comments about Gustav Klimt: Drawings & Watercolors.

1. I love the drawing style of Klimt and Schiele but the overall experience was spoilt by he poor text typeface and the miniscule point size. Buy it for the pictures, not the words!



2. Wonderful. Quick, immediate, and from the heart - or some other organ of animal intensity. Despite the title, there aren't so many watercolors, nearly none. The drawings are superb, though.
   
   Klimt was an intense sensualist. He was often photographed in a floor-length painter's smock, probably wearing nothing underneath. Also, he was commonly seen in his studio amid models not just nude but naked, in intimate and revealing poses, often in couples and more-somes. Add in the fact that Klimt acknowledged three children out of wedlock, and posthumously faced claims of fourteen more. He was clearly a man profoundly moved by female beauty. His life ouvre of painting shows that.
   
   Thousands of his drawings are available to scholars, but the few hundred here show Klimt's passion even more clearly than his lush paintings ever did. Some are studies for his well-known paintings; he was known to do hundreds in preparation for major works. Other sketches can also be traced to known paintings, though with less certainty. Still others are too vividly sensual to have been shown in his own time.
   
   The author includes helpful and revealing biographical notes, largely at the beginning and end of the thick book. I must caution readers with eyes aging like mine are - although the lines of type have wide, airy spacing and low x-height, the text itself looks like 8-point or smaller. Some readers will be so physically uncomfortable from eyestrain that they will lose all the value, or at least enjoyment in those written words. Dear author and publisher: check the book's layout with graying readers before committing it to type, I beg you.
   
   Outside of that, the physical presentation is impeccable. The book is thick, as I said, but that is largely due to the heavy, bright, opaque stock on which the pages are printed - it's a 400 page book with 600 page bulk. I am not criticizing. That quality of paper takes the fine detail of the reproduced drawings beautifully, without glare, and without showing through from the back. It looks and feels luxurious. The book's rich physical sense perfectly complements its visual sensuality. I recommend this book very highly, whether your interest is in Klimt, in arts related to Nouveau, or in simply womanly beauty.
   
   //wiredweird



3. From all the books I ordered in my last purchase, this has to be my favorite. Not only does it have rare studies and designs from Master Klimt. If there is a book you should buy to understand his works a bit more, this is the one :)

5 comments about Gustav Klimt: 100 Drawings.

1. this is an amazing book! as an amateur graphic artist, this has been an invaluable reference and inspiration to me. all of the drawings are of figures, mostly women, mostly naked. they were largely done without direction to his models while they lounged around his loft so they are very intimate, sensual, and sometimes erotic.
   his style is so lucid, i can stare at the images forever. the line is so smooth and light(usually pencil, sometimes charcoal), that the images seem like stencils. the body is basically a contour drawing and then the hair is captured in typical art nouveau style, with stylized strands moving in one direction.
   i can't say enough about this book. the work is so simple and stunning...when i try to relate what it means to me, i can't think of a thing to say.



2. this is an amazing book! as an amateur graphic artist, this has been an invaluable reference and inspiration to me. all of the drawings are of figures, mostly women, mostly naked. they were largely done without direction to his models while they lounged around his loft so they are very intimate, sensual, and sometimes erotic.
   his style is so lucid, i can stare at the images forever. the line is so smooth and light(usually pencil, sometimes charcoal), that the images seem like stencils. the body is basically a contour drawing and then the hair is captured in typical art nouveau style, with stylized strands moving in one direction.
   i can't say enough about this book. the work is so simple and stunning...when i try to relate what it means to me, i can't think of a thing to say.



3. Gustav Klimt is amazing. I love his work and I have most recently become more intrigued by his ideas and sketches. If you like Klimt, check out Auguste Rodin, and Egon Schiele also. They all have similar sketch stylizes and imagery. I am an art major and I specialize in painting portraits, so Klimt's sketches are a natural way for me to go. I love his work so I loved this book but as another reviewer stated, the images were too light. The drawings were awfully faint and on gray paper, I would have liked them to be printed darker or at least on white paper. Also there were a lot of his major sketches for his masterpieces missing that I've found in other books. Over all it's a very good book for a nice price.



4. This is a wonderful book for anyone who would like to experience Klimt. I found it very inspirational and completed several study sketches using this book.



5. If you're a Klimt fan, I do recommend this book. It's filled with interesting (and rather simple) studies of many of his paintings, as well as personal works. It's an interesting way to get acquainted to Klimt's process and vision.

5 comments about Klimt.

1. I will probably be pilloried for this review since the book "sold out in America before its publication date". Maybe that was because of expectations (my own mistake) as opposed to seeing the real thing. I actually ordered two copies separately in order to keep one in my parents' place, and thankfully, have been able to cancel the second. Klimt has been my favourite painter for over 20 years, and I had imagined that a giant-size tome of the complete paintings would be a revelation. As I turned the pages just now, my rating steadily fell from four to three to two stars. Firstly, from the way that the book has been designed, there is absolutely no reason for it to be more than 30 X 25 cm. The majority (I do not use this word metaphorically) of the pages in the essay section (about 3/4 of the book) are at least 70% text, and the illustrations are mainly half-postcard size. When more than fifty percent of the page is actually used for illustration, more often than not, they print a detail of a painting without a picture of the full painting (except in the catalogue at the end - we will come to that). There are no measurements quoted for the paintings in the main section of the book, and often, the fact that the illustration is only a part of the painting is not mentioned. The paintings are definately secondary to the text and used to illustrate the essayist's point, rather than the text being secondary to the paintings or a celebration of the paintings. I can understand this in an academic pamphlet, but an 18" X 12" book? Moreover, in many of the pages, vintage photographs, drawings, and paintings are thrown together on the same page willy-nilly in what is at best a very pedestrian, and at worst, a poor layout; even worse is the juxtaposition of totally disparate paintings (in miniature scale) right next to each other, which detracts from both the works, or juxtaposition of the works of Klimt and other contemporary artists, reproduced in the same size (instead of Klimt's works taking priority as would be the normal, and much preferable convention) so that the page resembles nothing more than one of those dark Victorian galleries where unrelated paintings are hung on top of each other on the wall. Then we come to the actual quality of the reproductions: they just all look slightly less than sharp, and what perplexed me at the beginning was why I did not get that little flutter in the stomach which I always get when I see an illustration of one of Klimt's paintings (most of them anyway) - I had just bought the "Ronald S Lauder and Serge Sabarsky collection" of Klimt, which I really enjoyed even though it illustrated only a fraction of his oeuvre, and so I put them side by side for comparison. The reproductions from the "complete paintings" are definately not sharp by comparison, and the color separation is also very poor - for example, the Emilie Floge portrait looks really dull and flat as there is a heavy brown tint to the background compared to the Lauder reproduction, and the blue tones of the ground have completely disappeared. Sometimes, it is more subtle; for example, in the Beech Trees, both books reproduce this as an approx. 3X3 inch illustration, but the complete paintings version is just slightly less focussed, the overall effect being that the painting just appears dull, whereas in the Lauder version, the colors scintillate and dance in your vision. This is repeated in painting after painting. As for the catalogue raisonne at the back - the paintings are reproduced in an approximately 3 X 3 inch size, and even at this size, they are not sharp. The landscapes are mostly dull-looking, and to fill in the large page, there are three columns of text - in fact, in the same size font as the normal sized Lauder book. With only 325 paintings, they could have produced a catalogue of 400 - 450 pages with full page illustrations of every painting, some detailed reproductions, and essays attached, which would have been definitive. As it is, you have a large unweildy tome that is mainly text, where the poor quality of the reproductions and the dreadful layout have all but destroyed the magic of Klimt. The only relief is that the catalogue raisonne "thumbnails" are not in black and white as is often the case. Take my advice and go out and buy the Lauder book for a third of the price (it is worth it for the essays alone, which are absolutely fascinating), and wait for a definitive book on Klimt to be published.(?Taschen please?). In case you wonder if I am one of those grumpy guys who criticize everything, I give quite a few five-star ratings (and I've bought about 100 art books in the past 18 months). This is nowhere near. Look before you buy! Please!



2. This beautiful museum-quality book has wonderful reproduction on high-quality paper. Stitch bound, attractively shipcased and authoritative text make this the perfect gift for the art fan.



3. I just received a copy of this book that I ordered for my mother for Christmas, and I am very tempted to keep it for myself! It is gorgeous and the reproductions of the paintings are amazing. I have always been a big fan of Klimt's work and this book does not disappoint. There are some brand new paintings included and the most fascinating parts of the book are when actual historic photos of the subject are included along side a painting of the subject - I love that part! Also, great commentary about his career and life. Wonderful!!



4. A magnificent work of art! All of Klimt's dazzling paintings as well as his drawings, beautifully reproduced, and accompanied by Weidinger's critical assessments. We are savoring each page as we slowly work our way thru this major (in size as well as content) accomplishment.



5. This book is absolutely beautiful..both in its imagery,type face and narrative.
   Highly recommended to lovers of Art Nouveau and Klimt

1 comments about Klimt And His Cat.

1. Great book to use in the classroom. Beautiful illustrations. I have done a lot with Klimt in the classroom and this book will really help the young children enjoy him even more. And maybe inpsire lots of their own masterpieces.

3 comments about Gustav Klimt: Landscapes.

1. It is a pleasure to have access to these beautiful works, which are more frequently overshadowed by the attention given to images of people and mythic figures for which Klimt is best known. These landscapes are revealing of both the subject matter and of Klimt the artist as he probed the composition and colors of the places that intrigued him.



2. Klimt seems to be best known for his figuratives - any study of his work should include his landscapes. A very nice book with good color plates.



3. Klimt has always been a problematic artist. In contemporary terms, he was a sell-out, but that hardly addresses the situation of a man good with the brushes a hundred years ago trying to make a bit more than a decent living for himself. That was the Nouveau years. The panels and friezes and commissions, the society portraits, the weird freaky paintings with all the gold paint. The man had great talent, and there's that reason that to this day you can buy prints and posters and postcards of his most famous paintings. I happen to own a "Die Kusse" night-light.
   
   It is terribly refreshing to own a volume dedicated to the man's landscapes. For the most part, these were paintings Klimt did for himself while vacationing with his friends in the summer months. They were not meant for sale. Often they were done in an audacious--for the time--square format. A few of the canvases are pretty tedious. But a great number are inspiring and terribly original. It's great to see the lot collected, and well-worth the look, not to mention purchase.

3 comments about Gustav Klimt: The Ronald S. Lauder and Serge Sabarsky Collections.

1. Although there are few paintings in the collection itself (mainly drawings), a large number of paintings are actually represented in the book to illustrate essays on Klimt's most important patrons and muses (some of which I had not seen in reproduction before) - these form about half the book, with interviews, contemporary documents, letters and photographs - I found this section the most interesting - there are also good essays on his background and his relationships to other artists, contemporary reception of his work, and his inspirations (especially fascinating were the visual comparisons of his drawings of nudes to the work of a contemporary erotic photographer, where the similarities are too many and complex to be put down to pure coincidence). Most poignant is the essay on three of the most prominent Jewish families of the period who were major collectors of Klimt's work - the Lederers, the Bloch-Bauers, and the Zuckerkandls, based on a mind-boggling 193 references. These families began the century at the pinnacle of contemporary society, and were at the centre of Vienna's cultural life; their stories make for harrowing reading - for example, Elizabeth Bachofen-Echt, the daughter of Adele Bloch-Bauer, survived the Third Reich by claiming that she was Klimt's illegitimate daughter and therefore of mixed race - and are worth the price of the book in themselves. Layout and reproductions are superb, as is the general quality of the book. A joy to the eye and definately one of the best art books on the market.



2. This is the catalogue for the current Klimt show at the Neue Galerie in NY. All the works belong to the two founding collections of the museum and most of them are drawings, which allows an irreplaceable insight into the artist's working method. The illustations are of a very high quality and the book is a treasure trove of information on Klimt's early Austrian collectors (mostly Jewish,which accounts for their tragic fate during WWII), and the subsequent "discovery" of Klimt by American collectors, thanks to some courageous dealers like Otto Kallir, owner of the gallery Saint-Etienne in New York. The book also dwells on the much commented recent acquisition of Klimt's famous painting "Adele Bloch-Bauer", which is the centerpiece of the exhibition, and on its importance in the artist's oeuvre. Without being a retrospective, this book, through its many top-quality illustrations and thorough studies of various aspects of Klimt's oeuvre, is a must-have for any art lover, even if some may wonder if the artist is really the top-tier painter that the Neue Galerie makes him out to be: isn't Klimt's art sometimes too decorative (especially when compared to Egon Schiele's)?



3. Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918), while popular and admired in his time, suffered a period of being regarded as the King of Kitsch for many years after his death. It has only been in the past half century (and especially now) that his contribution to the art world is being recognized and appreciated. His paintings are highly prized, are cause célèbre in their movement from collection to collection, and his influence on modern art and the birth of the decorative arts (especially Art Deco) is unchallenged.
   
   This extraordinary book GUSTAV KLIMT: THE RONALD S. LAUDER AND SERGE SABARSKY COLLECTIONS is now the definitive work on the strange man who introduced the Secession, a movement that hoped to create a new style that would depart from historical influence and stir in the influence of Sigmund Freud. Klimt, whose shimmering paintings incorporated gold leaf and sensuous nude women in 'scandalous poses', brought Vienna to its feet to recognize the works of the French Impressionists. The book is not only a compendium of lush illustrations of his photographs, drawings, and paintings, but it is also a fine history of all of the elements that Klimt incorporated into his work and his inevitable influence in history.
   
   The writings in the book are not dry pages of overused history: here are essays by some brilliant writers and historians such as Alessandra Comini, Ronald Lauder, Renee Price, Janis Staggs and others, each of whom takes a special aspect of Klimt's work and life and polishes the information with some first revelations of unknown notebooks and images. In this collection of drawings are little known works of nude women satisfying themselves that show the mutual influences of Klimt and Egon Schiele! But the final glory of the book is the very large collection of Klimt's output. It will be a while before any other volume can match this one for visual and intellectual interest. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 07