ART ART ART (#2)

     Schloss Belvedere

          The Belvedere is a MUST-SEE!

       The majestic, breathtaking palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the famous military hero who conqueored the Turks in 1718, is stunning -- both in its architectural design and interior collection. The palace is divided into two parts: the Upper and Lower Belvedere. Designed by Hildebrandt, the Belvedere is one of the finest baroque palaces in the world. Indeed, upon entering the palace, my attention was captured by the grandiose, three-story architecture and its reflection upon the water.
          "What a divine stretch of loveliness!" The dual reality, one of the actual palace and the other as reflected on the water, suggested an interplay on reality and illusion. The adrenaline rush, in my case, was like standing face to face with not only one, but two Dior Couture dresses!

      (image taken from wikipedia.org)

The Lower Belvedere was Prine Eugene's summer residence; while he entertained the courtesans in the Upper Belvedere, he prefered to stay in the more humble Lower Belvedere. 
The summer residence is connected to the orangery. 

(image: the long garden between the two Belvederes was laid out in classical French style)      

The most marvelous aspect of the Belvedere is its art collection. It is now the home of the Austrian Gallery. The first floor houses paintings from the turn of the 19th century; the second floor concentrates on 19th century paintings from the romantic, classical, and Biedermeier periods. The most important artists represented are Klimt and Schiele, both associated with the Art Nouveau school.

[note: Schiele is discussed in "Art Art Art #1]

•  Anton Romako

            Why was I intrigued by Romako's work? I don't really know. His   works, displayed in the gallery, consisted of portraits. This one is titled "An Italian Fisherboy". 
           There is something about the way the boy glances off to the side that renders the image rather vivid. If you look closely, the fishes in the basket shine with an intense lustre, and drip water droplets. The work is a brilliantly captured "in-the-moment" and I loved it!

• Vestimil Hofmann "Madonna"

            Hofmann's "Madonna" is a regal piece. The featured Madonna is not clothed in rich robes, nor is she removed from worldly sufferings. Here, she appears helpless, unable to save her children from poverty; the children are dressed in tattered linens and afflicted with hunger. the mother, in this case, is unable to offer anything except her love (as exemplified by her tender holding of the child), yet, it is this augmented notion of nothing-ness, the extreme poverty, that heightens the glory of maternal love.  

• Klimt 

            Klimt, one of the founders of the Secessionist Art Nouveau school, was known for his decorative art. His later paintins employ an ostentatious use of metallic gold and silver background color. The effect of the metallic luster is rather powerful and I highly recommend seeing a Klimt in person, the experience will change you. 

The Belvedere contains one of Klimt's best works, The Kiss (1908)

            Note the decorative symbols on the robes, squares and ovals, are indicative of gender. The gold background, which is of a more muted tone than the shimmering golden figures in the center, creates a sense of dream-like reality. The longer I stared at the painting, the more drawn in I was. The gold enveloped me and the color pigments seemed to float in the air... The colors, the shades of gold, infiltrated my space and I felt as if I was seeing, breathing, and dreaming gold... 
            It was a magnificent experience to see The Kiss. The man kisses, ever so lightly, on the woman's cheek. The gold that shrouds that two figures makes it rather difficult to separate the two (whose robe is whose), but maybe the point is to not separate the two, maybe their togetherness/oneness is fused together by the gold and sealed with the kiss. Sigh, so much's being said and expressed with "the kiss". 
            After The Kiss, that whole afternoon i was torn between feeling this light, golden bliss, and the desperate need to get kissed... a soft, gentle, kiss. 
[note: If you like Klimt's works or are interested in modernization/modernity, (a period known as the fin de siecle), then do visit the Secession. The Secession, otherwise known as the "Golden Cabbage", is an unmissable sight. The Secession house Klimt's famous Beethoven Frieze, a 34m-long work.]