Klimt and the Kunstschau
1908/09
Seal of the Kunstschau 1908, Leopold Museum, Vienna
In 1908, the emperor Franz Josef celebrated 60 years since his coronation with a procession in honour of the emperor’s jubilee. Numerous artists were involved with the arrangements for the procession, including the circle of the so-called “Klimt Group,” which broke away from the Secession in 1905. In honour of the Emperor, the group reconstituted itself on casual terms and organized, from June 1 to November 16, the “Kunstschau” exhibition on the area designated for the future Konzerthaus in the Lothringerstraße, which was lying fallow at the time.
The layout of the exhibition area was planned out by Josef Hoffmann and included 54 exhibition halls in timber construction, a café, and a summer theatre. After the breakaway of the “Klimt Group” from the Secession, Ludwig Hevesis’ motto “to every age its art—and to art its freedom” was removed from the Secession building and installed above the doors of the “Kunstschau” exhibition. The “Kunstschau” exhibition of 1908 offered all those interested in culture an overview of Austrian painting, as well as graphic arts, sculpture, theatre decoration, arts and crafts, and ecclesiastical art, among other things.
Gustav Klimt himself exhibited over 16 paintings, among them his allegory “The Three Ages” or his present-day icon “The Kiss.” In his opening speech, he emphasized that “no aspect of human life is too unimportant or minor to give space to artistic endeavour.” Klimt was also particularly intent on supporting young talents, which is why in 1908 Oskar Kokoschka was given his first chance to exhibit his works. Klimt’s junior by 24 years and four years older than Schiele, the “savage” Oskar Kokoschka sold all his exhibited works in just one day. To demonstrate his gratefulness for the invitation to participate in the exhibition, he dedicated his fairy tale book “The Dreaming Boys” to Gustav Klimt.
A year later, in 1909, the exhibition “Internationale Kunstschau” took place in Vienna. Klimt also played an important role in the organization of this exhibition and showed seven works, among them “Salome II.” For the most part, international artists were exhibited, such as Matisse, van Gogh, Munch, and Gauguin. Oskar Kokoschka was one the artists as well, and caused a scandal with his poster for the theatre play “Murder, Hope of Women.” For the first time, Egon Schiele was one of the exhibiting artists. From this point onwards, Schiele and Klimt were joined by a paternal friendship that lasted until their death in the same year in 1918.
