Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life

The Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt is one of the most reproduced oil paintings in the modern day and this website discusses this famous oil painting as well as placing it into context within the career of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. Alongside the information are links to where you can buy your own Tree of Life print from our recommended online retailer, Art.com who offer the best quality art reproductions available. You can also find The Kiss Gustav Klimt here.

The Tree of Life came about in 1909 but is a painting with such imagination and creativity that it still appears remarkably contemporary even now. The complexity and boldness of the painting makes it instantly recognisable and there are also several versions of it now available as prints, including the original, a detailed version, and also several darkened versions which have also proved popular. You can find examples of each of these included further down this page.

Gustav Klimt's paintings can now be found all over Europe and America with huge values now attributed to anything from his career. Indeed, it is very rare just for them to come up on sale. Fortunately many still reside in national galleries and museums rather than private collectors meaning the public can get to see them very easily, often for free. One downside of Klimt's success is that it is very hard to get to see all of his paintings in person now as they are dispersed across many countries and continents, making good quality reproductions an excellent alterative for those who love the unique style of his oil paintings.

The Tree of Life was painted by Gustav Klimt in 1909 which was during a highly productive period for the artist. Lady with Hat and Feather Boa and Judith II (Salomé) were also notable paintings by the artist that came in this year, and they all followed on from Schloss Kammer on the Attersee I and The Kiss that had come just a year earlier. The career of Klimt ran from 1888 to 1918 but this as certainly his most important time as an artist.

The Tree of Life is traditionally a very popular topic for many religions who use it as a symbol of life and vitality. Klimt was inspired by this to create his own version of this iconic symbol, but very much in his own style and artistic direction. This version of the tree is exceptionally detailed with beautiful flourishes to every branch of the tree and a consistent curl at the end of each branch that leaves a suitably magical feel to it. The branches themselves contrast against the alternative style used by the artist to depict the main trunk plus the two characters who watch on from the sides of the painting. They are put together in a similar way to that of several other Klimt paintings, but the style of the branches, which are the main focal point of the work, are unique within his career. There is also further information on the Tree of Life painting here.

Gustav Klimt has now become respected as an artist by academics and the public alike, who are charm by different elements of his work. Several landmark paintings have ensured his career will never stay out of the public eye for long and those who invest the time in researching deeper into his life's works are rarely disappointed. Klimt's sketches are lesser known than oil paintings such as The Tree of Life and The Kiss, but equally important and just as skilled.

The links included above beside each Tree of Life picture offer a selection of reproductions such as framed and unframed art prints, posters, stretched canvases and tapestries of Klimt's original painting and make excellent additions to most homes because of the contemporary style of the 1909 work. This and Klimt's other classic, The Kiss, remain the two best known pieces of art to have ever come from Austria, and it is hard to see anything surpassing them in future years because of their status as major pieces with the history of European art.

Gustav Klimt is remembered for his complex and bright paintings which can light up a room just by themselves but beneath each of these paintings are some highly skilled illustrations which the artist is also well known for. Those who study his career in greater detail will soon be introduced to a wealth of impressive figurative sketches that he completed during his career, often as preparatory pieces for the better known paintings that followed.

Besides The Tree of Life and The Kiss as mentioned within this site, Gustav Klimt's career produced many other fantastic sketches and oil paintings which we list below:

• The Kiss
• The Tree of Life, Stoclet Frieze
• Water Serpents II
• Portrait of Maeda Primavesi
• Allee Im Park Von Schloss Kammer
• Beethoven Frieze
• Houses at Unterach
• Field of Poppies
• Schloss Kammer at Attersee
• Judith
• Bauerngarten
• Field of Poppies
• The Virgin
• Death and Life
• The Three Ages of Women
• Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer

Disclaimer: Klimttreeoflife.com is a fan website dedicated to the paintings and art prints produced by famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, and is in no way an official website for painter Klimt, nor does it claim to be. The Estate of Gustav Klimt and their presence hold all necessary copyrights and licences for all of his paintings and other works. All prints, paintings and photos included in Klimttreeoflife.com are provided as an affiliate to Art.com who hold necessary permissions.