Visual Seduction Art

Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 – Feb. 6, 1918) was an Austrian born painter that played a major role in the Vienna Secessionist movement.

There’s not much I can write about Gustav that hasn’t been written before. His most famous work is a painting named “The Kiss” that is known world-wide. Although that painting is his most famous...it isn’t my favorite. Lesser known painting “The Virgin” was the first painting I remember seeing by Gustav that captured my attention.

What I love about his art is the aggressive use of gold leaf color and extraordinary detail. It gives his art a three dimensional look that’s hard to create on canvas. Another thing I noticed (and liked) about Gustav’s work is his love of the female form. Women were his muse. The majority of his work consists of different women, mostly nude drawn in what can only be described as erotic poses. During his time, some of his paintings were labeled heretical and pornographic. The church did not like it. 

Below I posted some of his painting and if you want to know more about this talented artist click the link to the Gustav Klimt Collection.

Beauty and Pain Art

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) is a Mexican surrealist painter best known for her use of vibrant colors and self-portraits. I found one of her paintings titled a few small nips in a book named The Visual Encyclopedia of Art. The violence depicted in the painting was no surprise since I've seen worse from artists. What surprised me is the fact that the painting was done by a woman. I was instantly captivated and curious to what images were depicted in her other works of art. 

What I found is that half of her works were self-portraits mixed with folk imagery. The other half were a blend of beauty and pain showing the different hardships she faced in life. Kahlo had Polio as a child which left one leg permanently smaller than the other. Then a serious traffic accident in her teens which required numerous surgeries and caused life long health issues. Finally, she had a miscarriage of the baby made with husband famous painter Diego Rivera and found out that she couldn't bare children. 

All these hardships bled into her paintings which showed the trials and tribulations of the female experience without compromise. Below are a few of her paintings that captivate the eyes and the imagination.