The Hostile Powers
Technique: Giclée quality print
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The painting "The Hostile Powers" by Gustav Klimt features a variety of ornate and fantastical figures against a richly textured background with an abundance of golden hues and intricate patterns. On the left, there is a dominant, dark, almost ape-like figure with a fierce expression, its mouth wide open as if roaring. Around it, there are skeletal beings in white, with coils and whorls decorating their bodies, adding a ghastly, spectral aura. A vivid array of symbols and eyes appear scattered across the midsection of the composition, creating a sense of being watched by unseen forces. On the right, a towering, spectral figure draped in white, reminiscent of a classical statue, stands solemnly with elongated hands lifted either in defense or summoning.
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Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) was one of the greatest Austrian symbolist painters of the Art Nouveau era. Renowned as one of the most prominent founding members, and as a president of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement (Vienna Secession). His works were mainly paintings, murals, and sketches. Marked by his numerous erotic drawings, Klimt's primary subject were female figures, and at one point his work was even criticized as pornographic. Klimt found financial success in his "Golden Phase" with decorative techniques and the prominent use of gold leaf in his paintings.