Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele's works on show for 'Vienna 1900' exhibition
Published: 14 Dec. 2024, 07:00
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- SHIN MIN-HEE
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![″Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant″ (1912) by Egon Schiele [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/14/92c7bfca-cf1d-4b9c-8beb-720eaec7f0f8.jpg)
″Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant″ (1912) by Egon Schiele [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]
Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s (1862-1918) mentor-student relationship with budding painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918) is reflected in an exhibition poster, titled “Round Table,” from 1918.
Made by Schiele for the 49th exhibition of the Vienna Secession, several artists are shown sitting around a table, each reading a book. Schiele is sitting toward the top of the piece, at the head of the table, and further opposite him is an empty seat that was meant for Klimt.
![″Round Table (Poster for the 49th Vienna Secession Exhibition)″ (1918) by Egon Schiele [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/14/a4275d25-1d14-49fc-be5c-702a2f807c05.jpg)
″Round Table (Poster for the 49th Vienna Secession Exhibition)″ (1918) by Egon Schiele [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]
According to Yang Seung-mi, curator at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, this one poster alone is enough to understand how the 20th century was a time of renewal and transformation for Austrian modern art.
The museum is holding an exhibition titled “Vienna 1900: The Dreaming Artists – From Gustav Klimt to Egon Schiele.” It is comprised of 191 pieces from the collection of the Leopold Museum in Austria.
The Vienna Secession was an art movement that, although only lasted a brief two decades, changed the paradigm of Austrian art by departing from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts’ traditional styles. It was active from 1897 to 1914, with Klimt spearheading the movement along with artists like Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann, Richard Gerstl and Oskar Kokoschka.
![″Vase″ (c. 1900) by Koloman Moser [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/14/117531e2-fa1d-42db-a632-062e080f0929.jpg)
″Vase″ (c. 1900) by Koloman Moser [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]
![″Flower Table″ (c. 1905) by Josef Hoffmann [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/14/6f55ecb8-29d2-45df-b842-a30658e2fd8e.jpg)
″Flower Table″ (c. 1905) by Josef Hoffmann [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]
The Vienna Secession was not fixated on one genre, but experimented with a diverse range across paintings, graphic design, photography, architecture, furniture and crafts, which are on display at the exhibition.
This approach led to the creation of Gesamtkunstwerk, a German term meaning “universal work of art” — in that art could adopt multiple art forms. For example, the 14th edition of the Vienna Secession exhibition in 1902 was themed around classical music, precisely Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). The exhibition featured a statue of Beethoven by German artist Max Klinger (1857-1920) and the “Beethoven Frieze” (1902) painting by Klimt.
“One of the main philosophies of the Vienna Secession was that every single object used in everyday life should be visually beautiful and created through an artist,” curator Yang said during a recent press conference. “Craftsmanship was considered paramount, with an aversion to mass production.”
![″Girl in the Foliage″ (c. 1898) by Gustav Klimt [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/14/63247c8f-03df-4654-aecf-f5ac01aa09d1.jpg)
″Girl in the Foliage″ (c. 1898) by Gustav Klimt [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]
Klimt was a particularly pivotal figure, serving as the first president of the Secession, and he made efforts to support younger artists, which is where Schiele came into the picture. With the help of Klimt, Schiele was able to pioneer Expressionism in Europe through his portraits and drawings that tended to show scrawny, twisted human subjects. These depicted the rawness and complexities of human emotions, like isolation and motherhood. Historical records state that Schiele had an unstable relationship with his own mother.
So, what does the unoccupied seat in “Round Table” have to do with Klimt's bond with Schiele? Klimt died just a month prior to the 49th exhibition of the Secession.
“Klimt laid the foundation for Viennese art to take on innovative challenges. This poster represents the environment in which artists, including Schiele, were allowed to freely express themselves,” curator Yang said.
“The empty chair at the table for Klimt was made intentionally by Schiele out of respect.”
![″The Large Poplar II (Gathering Storm)″ (1902/03) by Gustav Klimt [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/14/27cc769d-5303-43ad-9358-07284f277e04.jpg)
″The Large Poplar II (Gathering Storm)″ (1902/03) by Gustav Klimt [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]
“Vienna 1900: The Dreaming Artists – From Gustav Klimt to Egon Schiele” continues until March 3 next year. The National Museum of Korea is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, with hours extending to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Regular admission is 18,500 won ($13).
BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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