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Whilst Gustav Klimt is thoroughly well respected by academics, his popularity within the wider art public goes much further. His bright colours and swirling figures have proven particularly in keeping with modern art tastes and also offer originality. Learn more about his career through the following books.
The work of this genius often captures the eye of the occasional art fan who sees the bright gold leaf paint and the beautiful female portraits. They may see the likes of The Kiss and want to learn more about his career - that is where some of the fantastic publications based on his career can then be of interest. He remains one of the most researched artists in history, to the point where even his individual artworks are understood in considerable detail. As an international figure these are also available in a variety of languages, when other national artists have books about them in their own native language, but many would remain untranslated, limiting their impact in other cultures.
The variety of publications on this artist match the varying needs that followers of his career might have. Some will simply want to focus on the visual - and beautiful reproductions of his work in print dominate some of the books that you might go for. Others will prefer a more indepth study of his life and career, essentially providing a biography of his career with accompanying photographs to bring the words to life. Differing budgets also are catered for, with some biographies available for just a few dollars in paperbook form, where as larger printed books can go for up to one hundred dollars, reflecting the amount of ink used as well as the size and weight of the book. Rarer books may even go for more than that, for those who collect such things but most mainstream art fans will only be interested in more recent publications.
Taschen remains our preferred publication house for the arts, with a proven track record in producing the highlight book for many famous artists. Their recent piece, Gustav Klimt: Complete Paintings, is a huge book which provides stunning reproductions of his work alongside detailed explanations of his paintings as well as other articles on his life and achievements. It is certainly amongst the finest art books out there and yet another fine contribution from Taschen. That book has been translated into several languages, representing the international appeal of the artist and also the financial muscle of this company who know that they can sell books worldwide when the artist himself is sufficiently popular. Their book also features a number of reproductions of Klimt's drawings as well as photographs of some of his theatre set designs.
Alternatively, you might try out some of the Taschen Basic series which covers most of the major European artists from the Renaissance up to the present day. They have a book about Klimt as well as some around other related artists, including Czech Art Nouveau illustrator, Alphonse Mucha. These are affordable books which can also be picked up at next to nothing from third parties on the Amazon website if you are willing to plump for used books. Generally, these are great ways of building up your knowledge of art history on a small budget and also help you to find your preferred artist from all those available. Once you have got an understanding of what specifically you like, you can then buy more detailed books about such artists from other retailers. Within the books themselves you will also find related artists that might extend your intrigue into new areas.
