Customer Reviews

Gustav Klimt: The Ronald S. Lauder and Serge Sabarsky Collections

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Although there are few paintings in the collection itself (mainly drawings), a large number of paintings are actually represented in the book to illustrate essays on Klimt's most important patrons and muses (some of which I had not seen in reproduction before) - these form about half the book, with interviews, contemporary documents, letters and photographs - I found this section the most interesting - there are also good essays on his background and his relationships to other artists, contemporary reception of his work, and his inspirations (especially fascinating were the visual comparisons of his drawings of nudes to the work of a contemporary erotic photographer, where the similarities are too many and complex to be put down to pure coincidence). Most poignant is the essay on three of the most prominent Jewish families of the period who were major collectors of Klimt's work - the Lederers, the Bloch-Bauers, and the Zuckerkandls, based on a mind-boggling 193 references. These families began the century at the pinnacle of contemporary society, and were at the centre of Vienna's cultural life; their stories make for harrowing reading - for example, Elizabeth Bachofen-Echt, the daughter of Adele Bloch-Bauer, survived the Third Reich by claiming that she was Klimt's illegitimate daughter and therefore of mixed race - and are worth the price of the book in themselves. Layout and reproductions are superb, as is the general quality of the book. A joy to the eye and definitely one of the best art books on the market.

Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918), while popular and admired in his time, suffered a period of being regarded as the King of Kitsch for many years after his death. It has only been in the past half century (and especially now) that his contribution to the art world is being recognized and appreciated. His paintings are highly prized, are cause célèbre in their movement from collection to collection, and his influence on modern art and the birth of the decorative arts (especially Art Deco) is unchallenged.

This extraordinary book GUSTAV KLIMT: THE RONALD S. LAUDER AND SERGE SABARSKY COLLECTIONS is now the definitive work on the strange man who introduced the Secession, a movement that hoped to create a new style that would depart from historical influence and stir in the influence of Sigmund Freud. Klimt, whose shimmering paintings incorporated gold leaf and sensuous nude women in 'scandalous poses', brought Vienna to its feet to recognize the works of the French Impressionists. The book is not only a compendium of lush illustrations of his photographs, drawings, and paintings, but it is also a fine history of all of the elements that Klimt incorporated into his work and his inevitable influence in history.

The writings in the book are not dry pages of overused history: here are essays by some brilliant writers and historians such as Alessandra Comini, Ronald Lauder, Renee Price, Janis Staggs and others, each of whom takes a special aspect of Klimt's work and life and polishes the information with some first revelations of unknown notebooks and images. In this collection of drawings are little known works of nude women satisfying themselves that show the mutual influences of Klimt and Egon Schiele! But the final glory of the book is the very large collection of Klimt's output. It will be a while before any other volume can match this one for visual and intellectual interest. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 07

This is the catalogue for the current Klimt show at the Neue Galerie in NY. All the works belong to the two founding collections of the museum and most of them are drawings, which allows an irreplaceable insight into the artist's working method. The illustations are of a very high quality and the book is a treasure trove of information on Klimt's early Austrian collectors (mostly Jewish,which accounts for their tragic fate during WWII), and the subsequent "discovery" of Klimt by American collectors, thanks to some courageous dealers like Otto Kallir, owner of the gallery Saint-Etienne in New York. The book also dwells on the much commented recent acquisition of Klimt's famous painting "Adele Bloch-Bauer", which is the centerpiece of the exhibition, and on its importance in the artist's oeuvre. Without being a retrospective, this book, through its many top-quality illustrations and thorough studies of various aspects of Klimt's oeuvre, is a must-have for any art lover, even if some may wonder if the artist is really the top-tier painter that the Neue Galerie makes him out to be: isn't Klimt's art sometimes too decorative (especially when compared to Egon Schiele's)?

I was disappointed in this book as there were only a handful of full page images of Klimt's work. Come on, with 480 pages to work with they could've included many more full page images. The book was mostly text and small pictures filled with his history and artists inspired by him.
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I feel this book is by far the best source of information about Gustav Klimt offered today. It has been intelligently compiled. I have not seen a more informative resource offered yet. My collection contains many books on Klimt from all over the world, including ones obtained during my trip to Vienna last spring. If you are a lover of Klimt's work or have just discovered him, this book is a must have for your library.

I bought this book for my hubby who enjoys the works of Klimpt. The book includes his most familiar work as well as some pieces we had not seen before. Very nice addition to the library.