Adele Bloch-Bauer I

The artwork is a reinterpretation of the famous Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, an oil painting on canvas created by Gustav Klimt in 1907. This masterpiece represents the pinnacle of his “golden period,” and after being stolen by the Nazis along with the Bloch-Bauer family’s possessions, it was recovered decades later by Adele’s niece. It was the most expensive painting in the world for a brief period.
In the portrait, Adele, the daughter of businessman Maurice Bauer, is captured against a golden background that eliminates spatial depth, creating a two-dimensional effect. The only elements that retain a sense of three-dimensionality are her face and hands, symbolizing the conflict between eros and thanatos that Klimt explores in other works as well. Adele’s figure, with her translucent skin and red lips, becomes a femme fatale, enveloped in a dress rich with symbolism, including the Eye of Horus, and decorations reminiscent of Byzantine art.
Her dress harmoniously merges with the armchair, creating an ornamental cascade that extends to the walls and floor. This effect generates an atmosphere of timelessness and estrangement from the world, with the gold giving the artwork the appearance of a jewel rather than merely a painting.