Klimt - Statue - The Expectation (1905-1909)

This artwork originates from the Stoclet Frieze in Brussels. Adolphe Stoclet commissioned an estate in Brussels for architect Josef Hoffman to design and for Klimt to decorate the dining room with a frieze. His theme was The New Cycle of Life. The Stoclet Frieze, 1909-11 has a three-part mosaic -- Expectation, Fulfillment and Pattern --which were executed at the Vienna Workshop and utilized the finest and most luxurious materials available including marble, gold leaf, silver and semiprecious stones. Klimt himself, a man of few words, later called this image simply the dancer. It could be thought that this geometrical ornamented portrayal has a logical connection with The Fulfillment, which also forms a part of a mosaic design in the Palais Stocklet in Brussels.

The figure of Expectation, originally called 'The Dancer', is clearly inspired by Egyptian art, both in terms of the woman's profile and the position of her arms and hands. The figure also owes something to a dance popular at the time.

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter who was considered to be particularly controversial during his time. Klimt "main subject in his work was the female body. He became known for the highly decorative style and erotic nature of his works, which were seen as a rebellion against the traditional academic art of his time. Klimt was a prominent member of an innovating group of artists called "˜Sezession' and is considered to be one of the main pioneers of modern art. Apart from this, his ornamental Jugendstil style evokes an irresistible feeling which is inspired by the "˜fin-de-siecle' of 19th century Vienna: elitist, liberal middle class, decadent, pleasantly-decorative. Klimt Combined monumental style with Byzantine-like ornamental art and classical symbolism, created against the background of romanticism which was so characteristic of his time. His work was criticized for being too sensual and erotic, although they've proven today to be some of the most memorable paintings to ever emerge from the Vienna Secession movement. Klimt "Golden Phase" is quite possibly his most widely recognized period of art. This period emerged following positive reactions to his work and subsequent financial success. Many of his paintings during this time, including The Kiss, were made with gold leaf.
In Sezession "own words: Art guides us to an ideal realm, the only place where we will be able to find pure joy, pure happiness and pure love. A choir of angels from paradise. Joy given by divine sparkles. That kiss from the entire world!"