Gustav Klimt

The son of a goldsmith, Klimt first made his name decorating public buildings. In 1897 he led a group of artists who broke away from the conservative artists' association to found the Vienna Secession, becoming its first president.

He is known for gold leaf, mosaic-like ornament and sensual images of women; his “Golden Phase” fuses Byzantine art with Art Nouveau. He died during the influenza pandemic of 1918.