Klimt

(Taschen 25th Anniversary Edition). Thoroughly fin de siecle, Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) and his contemporaries found - or hoped to find - an ecstatic joy in beauty; beauty constantly overshadowed by death. Klimt's fame, however, rests on his reputation as one of the greatest erotic painters and graphic artist of his times. This is well-qualified in this Taschen special edition, particularly Klimt's drawings, which are dominated by the erotic portrayal of women, for the artist saw the world "in female form." This volume also discusses the Secession movement and Klimt's pivotal role within. Chronology, Notes, Bibliography. Color/b&w illus. 240p. Lacking dust jacket.