Klimt masterpieces at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna have been revealed in their full glory only twice in 127 years. You can see them here.
The Klimt masterpieces peek out at visitors to the museum.
Yet no-one sees them. Most people do not even realise they are there.
It makes some sense.
The columns make some paintings doubly intriguing – All photos LT
Klimt masterpieces at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
In 1891 the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna commissioned Gustav Klimt, then 29, to paint murals in its mighty main staircase. The murals are epic in scale, stretching from one side of the vast space to the other.
I noticed the paintings at once when I visited the KHM in 2016 and wanted to get a good look at them. But I couldn’t.
Because of the scale of the space, you cannot get closer than about 12 metres away – around 40 feet. The pictures are tantalising: spectacular, yet distant.
For 127 years, visitors to the KHM have had to view the Klimt masterpieces from afar.
Stairway to Klimt
So in 2012, someone had the bright idea of building a mighty, 4-tonne platform, or “bridge”, above the stairwell of the KHM to allow visitors to view the Klimts from close up. In 2018, the 100th anniversary of Klimt’s death, they rebuilt the bridge. I took these photos.
For only the second time in 127 years, you can see the paintings close up – as Klimt saw them.
To come face to face with the paintings is a wonder. Although the paintings were designed to be viewed from a distance, they look perfect close up. They are also in outstanding condition, despite (or perhaps because of) never having been restored.
The picture above shows where the Klimt paintings appear
The “Stairway to Klimt” closed on 2 September 2018. If you are a lover of Klimt masterpieces, you may want to keep your eyes peeled for another opportunity to glimpse them close up.
P.S. If you enjoy fresh, original writing, you can follow me on Facebook or sign up for my newsletter (you can unsubscribe anytime you wish).
