Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer Flashcards
What is the size of the painting?
138 cm to 138 cm
What materials are used in the painting?
Oil paint silver and gold leaf
Media handling
Heavily detailed, small brushes used to paint patterns
Paint on figure blended to create naturalistic effect
Paint brush used on floor bigger
Sponge like effect on the walls
Care has been taken to patterns on the figure
Line
Curvilinear lines make up the skirt to show the way the fabric flows around the sitter
Fine lines create the spirals
Fine line has been used to emphasise the form of the figure
The eyes in the dress are outlined to emphasise them, as are the circles around the head of the chair to make them more distinct
Line creates pattern
Tone
Limited tonal range
Figure has a ghostly tone that has been used highlight her paleness, a sign of beauty at the time
Tone of the figure contrast brush gold used across the painting for emphasis
The flatness of the pattern sections create separation into in the head of the sitter and the body
Tonal graduation in the skirt to create an impression of large size
Texture
Texture of the background is rough almost like the surface of pumice, pattern like a starry sky
Skin and hair are very smooth to give impression of beauty
Ridged texture of skirt to produce pattern, & impression of folds in fabric
Other areas of pattern have smooth texture to emphasise geometricness
Use of the colour gold
Places painting clearly in Klimt’s golden phase
Suggest wealth of sitter, wife of a wealthy banker and sugar producer
Suggests high status
Gold is associated with love: of husband who adored her and commissioned painting / love between her and artist who were rumoured to have a love affair
Abundance of gold ethereal figure
Other uses of colour
Small details use primary colours to differentiate the shapes
Skin is almost white sign of beauty
Lips are vibrant red which contrasts to skin of face may suggest eroticism or sexuality
Strong black for hair contrast to background
Rouge cheeks, attraction or lust
Collar of dress isn’t gold emphasises feminine shape
Shape
Triangular and almond like shapes in centre of dress, eroticism
Eye patterns suggest Egyptian art and symbol of protection
Oval shapes create impression of head of chair
Rectangles used in dress convey the way the fabric falls
Use of geometric shapes creates an abstract impression of the sitter, division between head and body the latter which is made of gentle organic shapes
Pattern
Oval like shapes around head, head of chair
To the left of the sitter’s head a pattern of repeating squares like a chessboard
The dress contains many different patterns to differentiate the different parts of the dress
Edge of dress made from curvilinear lines to give the impression of flowing fabric
Spiral pattern around the sitter, the chair and the background seem to merge
Sources of inspiration
Erotic nature inspired by affair
The figure looks geisha like possibly Japanese inspired
H and Egyptian art with huge amount of gold and the use of the eye pattern
Byzantine mosaics of Ravanna Italy; a gold background and abundant pattern, choker is directly modelled on the mosaics
Spiral surrounding figure inspired from classic Grecian artist
Composition
Poised slightly inwards to exaggerate feminine form
Lips slightly parted and eyes look downwards to suggest sexuality
Pattern arranged in oval like shape around the head to emphasise it
Very little depth, but very busy especially round focal point as the eye is led out, the patterns become less busy
Typical characteristics of the painting
Subject matter is subtly erotic, the use of gold, highly decorative and full of geometric patterns.
Subject matter is also very similar to majority of Klimt’s paintings, all containing women
Scale
Large-scale allowed it to be highly decorative and detailed
The scale of the dress is very large to show the wealth of the sitter
The eyes and the lips have been exaggerated for beauty and possibly eroticism
