Today, 8 June 2011, the National Gallery of Victoria unveiled one of Gustav Klimt’s most renowned and spectacular works, the portrait of Emilie Flöge (pictured).
With only 10 days until the opening of this year’s highly anticipated Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Vienna: Art & Design, the NGV unpacked this spectacular painting, ready for display in this exclusive NGV exhibition.
Dr Gerard Vaughan, NGV Director, said: “Melbournians have been waiting for a sneak peek at this year’s highly anticipated Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Vienna: Art & Design, and today we are delighted to reveal this stunning work by the Viennese master, Gustav Klimt.”
The exhibition includes nine paintings by Gustav Klimt, eight of which have never been seen before in Australia. A highlight of the show is Klimt’s mesmerizing portrait of his lifelong companion, Emilie Flöge. Flöge ran a fashionable women’s clothing boutique.
In this portrait, Flöge is wearing the fashion of the day, the reform dress, which allowed women to dress freely without a corset.
This exhibition will feature over 300 works by artists including Klimt, Sheile, Hoffmann and Loos.
Vienna: Art & Design is exclusive to the NGV as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series; it is drawn from two of Vienna’s most important museums – the Belvedere and the Wien Museum – and also includes loans from private lenders and public institutions from all over the world.
Vienna: Art & Design will open daily from 10am–5pm from 18 June to 9 October 2011.
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