Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918), an Austrian iconoclast, rose from childhood poverty to become an artist who significantly impacted the Viennese Secession and Art Nouveau styles. Most of his paintings glow with gilded erotic imagery amid swirls of flamboyant ornamentation. His most inspired works, “The Kiss” submerges most of the couple’s bodies in vast golden waves, representing the melding of selves experienced by lovers. Click here to read Gustav Klimt's biography
