Module 5 Artwork Analysis

                                                                 Death and Life




Artist: Gustav Klimt

Created: 1908-1915

Location: Leopold Museum

     

    Gustav Klimt described this painting as his most important figurative work. There are two different parts to the oil painting. One part represents death, and the other side represents life. Instead of making the vision of death threatening it is shown as an acceptance into mortality. “The moments of pleasure, beauty, youth, and serenity, hope, and acceptance.” In this painting the circle of like is repeating. When looking at the life side of the painting there are grins you can see of the faces which shows more of a hopeful impression. The bodies are naked and huddled together surrounded by colorful flowers and design. In a way the colors look like a quilted blanket surrounded them keeping them warm. I think it is interesting that he painted them in the nude when representing life and death. We enter this life in the nude. In this painting he also shows all ages of life from a baby to geriatric also representing all stages of life. In 1915 after the Great War this painting was altered by Klimt but turning the background on the death side from gold to grey. The black crosses on the cape of are an opposite meaning of the bright colors of life surrounding the people. The grim reaper is holding a club instead of the usual scythe or hourglass. We will all in our lives at some age be met by death but life itself will always survive. The colors in the painting are what help you feel the emotion behind the piece. It also makes death side look still and cold. I think Klimt did an amazing representing death as a part of life and not something to fear.

 

 

 Reed Enger, "Death and Life," in Obelisk Art History, Published April 04, 2015; last modified January 06, 2021, http://arthistoryproject.com/artists/gustav-klimt/death-and-life/.

Comments

  1. Taylor SoutherSeptember 18, 2021 at 11:21 PM

    I like your interpretation of this piece, talking about the life side feeling warm and comforting, with the background design looking like a quilt, with the colors making it look much more lively than the side representing death, using much more muted and cold colors. And the interpretation of the grim reaper character holding a club instead of the usual scythe or hourglass kinda shows that death may be much more different than what people expect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elijah PittmanSeptember 19, 2021 at 8:46 PM

    I really find the title of the piece very intriguing, "Death and Life". As seen in the art piece on one side you can see a skeleton looking over to people who are huddled up to show that death is always lurking around the corner.

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