When Gustav Klimt’s ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’ was first shown to the general public in 1907, it must have IMPRESSED the viewers. The moment you see the portrait your eyes are riveted on the face of a strikingly beautiful young woman with a mysterious half smile playing on her lips. Yet, the gold background heavy with fabrics and decorative elements seems to have asserted dominance over her thus making her look detached and fragile. Gustav Klimt ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’ Our perception of any painting is INFLUENCED by its life: conception, execution and any twists of fate it has undergone since the artist first displayed it. ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’ also known as Austria’s Mona Lisa has an interesting history. To begin with, the author of the portrait, Gustav Klimt (1962-1918) was Austria’s most notable and fashionable avant-garde artist painting mostly women and enjoying the reputation of a Casanova. GUSTAV KLIMT There is controversy as to w
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