EVERYSUNDAY

The History Behind ‘The Woman in Gold’

Easily one of my favourite paintings, by one of my most favourite artists, Klimt’s painting ‘Adele Bloch-Bauer’s Portrait’ is well-known for many reasons. Clearly seen it was created in Klimt’s “golden phase,” this painting is so striking not just for it’s beauty, but also its long and tragic history.

Adele Bloch-Bauer and her husband, Ferdinand Bloch, were close friends with the artist, Gustav Klimt. She modeled for Klimt on numerous occasions, and Ferdinand commissioned two portraits of his wife. The married couple were well-known lovers of art. Adele would entertain many artists at their home - from musicians to painters. The Bloch-Bauer’s were a prominent Jewish family in Viennese society. This is precisely why they were targeted by Nazis in the 1940’s. The Bloch-Bauer’s home was emptied of its beautiful and loved possessions - including Adele Bloch-Bauer’s portrait. Of course, no Nazi could have the portrait of a Jewish woman hanging in their home, so her name was erased from the painting’s history and instead given the title “Woman in Gold.”

Eventually the painting was collected by the Austrian state gallery, and became one of Austria’s artistic ‘Golden Age’ symbols. Her story does not end here, because years later, in 2000, Adele’s niece - Maria Viktoria Bloch-Bauer (Maria Altman) - sued Austria for the ownership of the painting. Maria remembered visiting her aunt’s and uncle’s home throughout her childhood. After Adele died, their visits included a viewing of the gorgeous golden portrait. While Maria later fled Austria and settled in America with her husband, she eventually returned decades later after being told that the painting was rightfully hers. In Adele’s will she had asked that her husband donate her paintings to the gallery, yet in her husband’s will he had left them to his family. After years and years of court hearings and trials, Maria finally won back the painting.

Adele Bloch-Bauer’s portrait now sits in a Manhattan gallery, after being purchased for $135 million (US). This portrait was just one of many that was looted during World War II. Thankfully, the history of the painting, the subject, and her family have the recognition they deserve. It’s tragic that so many pieces of art and family heirlooms are still lost because of the prejudices and crimes of those that abused their power. Those organizations not only wiped out families, but also sought to destroy any memory of them.

Movies and interviews have been made to show people the history of this famous painting, such as ‘Stealing Klimt’ (2007), and the film ‘Woman in Gold’ (2015) which I both highly recommend.

Van Gogh: art hoe, unappreciated, depressed and lonely

Picasso: mhmm. you’re pretty weird and inventive and tbh kind of a dick

Leanardo Da Vinci: gay genius, ultimate prankster

Matisse: you love anything cultural and appreciate the value and beauty of almost everything

Edvard Munch: you are depressed, nihilistic and very lonely 

Salvador Dali: what is wrong with you? seriously what are you ever talking about. also check your ego

Monet: peaceful, you have an eye for beauty and wish you could live in a field of flowers

Renoir: you love the women, the children, the bread

Andy Warhol: hello you are pretentious and gay

Rembrant: you are serious, detailed, and classical. 

Keith Haring: you’ve got a hard on for the 80s and you are into activism 

Bouguereau: dude we get it you love the female body and you love mythology

Edward Hopper: america? america. also you are realistic, serious, observant and hard working

Klimt: you are goddamn beautiful and you love goddamn beautiful things

Egon Schiele: you are obsessed with the human body and need to get laid

Magritte: you are an existentialist and want to have tea in the clouds. also maybe you should stop taking so many benzos

Hollywood Africans, 1983, Jean-Michel Basquiat