Joseph Pembauer

Joseph Pembauer

The artist, Gustav Klimt portrays an impeccable masterpiece of pianist and piano teacher, Joseph Pembeauer. The realist masterpiece is so detail oriented that the piece looks like a photograph had been taken of the muse. The painting of the prominent pianist, was painted in 1890 as the artist still desired to paint realist portraits of individuals.

The piece holds the classic theme of the realist technique as the details within the model's face are evidently showcased. The individual is seated upright staring to the right of the canvas directly onto the distance. He wears thin silver glasses, creating an intellectual feel to the man, as the viewer wonders the significance of the individual. The man's black hair flows throughout the painting, cut off at the neck, paired with prominent arched thick eyebrows that add to the shape of the eyes. The man's small little black eyes carry a white touch in the center, adding a glistening speck of light to the face. The artist had spent an immense amount of time presenting his face with such exact precision and form. The viewer is able to witness small details on the muses face, such as the wrinkles under the eye, the folds around the neck, and the indent on the chin.

The man is dressed in a black jacket that hugs his body fitting his exact form, paired with a large black bow in the middle made up of the silk material. A glimpse of white peaks out of the men's jacket, as he is just in dressed in a snow coloured undershirt that accentuates his features. The man's messy hair curls slightly off the side, adding to his artistic allure.

The background behind the man is painted in prominent metallic shades, paired with gold features throughout the work. The portrait of the man was painted long before the artist had entered into his gold phase, working with the gold shades and tones. As evident through the piece the artist continued with the gold background to illustrate a bronze colour scheme adding to the artwork. The viewer is able to witness different symbols from Christian, Greek, and a Japanese culture. It is significant for the viewer to witness the artists use of gold tones throughout the piece, as these metallic colours add a new style into the work and bring to question the transition that the artist will go through.