Vienna prepares for Klimt Year
The Austrian capital is preparing to pull out all the stops to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of artist Gustav Klimt.
A series of exhibitions is in the pipeline, taking in some of Vienna's most prestigious museums.
The painter, who was a comet of early modernism both in Austria and in the world at large, was born near Vienna on 6 February 1862.
He won a scholarship to the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, and in 1888 received the Golden Order of Merit from Emperor Franz Joseph I.
However, he soon set out on a decidedly radical path, being one of the founding members of the Viennese Secession group, which broke away from the conservative Association of Austrian Artists in 1897.
Klimt's pre-Secession years will be the focus of a major show at the Kunsthistorisches Museum from 14 February to 11 June.
Likewise, Gustav Klimt: A Journey Though Time is set to take place as the Leopold Museum, featuring pictures, travel diaries and letters from the estate of Emilie Floge (24 February – 11 June).
Meanwhile, the Belvedere Gallery, which owns The Kiss as well as several other paintings by the artist, is hosting two shows, Gustav Klimt/Josef Hoffmann: Pioneers of Modernism, which runs until 4 March, complemented by a second exhibition called Masterpieces in Focus: 150 Years of Gustav Klimt.