Birthday Boy Klimt

Today Google is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Klimt with a Google Doodle of The Kiss (CLICK). Vienna is going big on the artist's birthday. Ten of the city's museums are showing special exhibitions of his work. The Klimt Collection of the Wien Museum is the biggest and most varied in the world, holding 400 of his drawings as well as some of his finest paintings. It also holds an uncensored lithograph of his scandalous poster for the first Secession Exhibition of 1898. His artwork ranges from classical, through Art Nouveau and Impressionism, to the glittery kitsch for which he has become famous. Above is his Idylle (1884) which was obviously inspired by Renaissance paintings. CLICK for the Wien Museum. CLICK for an excellent virtual museum of Klimt's paintings and drawings.