Art Reproductions Goldfish, 1902 by Gustave Klimt (1862-1918, Austria) | WahooArt.com

Gustave Klimt (i) - Oil On Canvas (i) - 181 x 66 cm - 1902 - Symbolism (i) Gustav Klimt was a Symbolist Austrian painter, who played an integral role in the formation of Wiener Sezession (Vienna Secession) in 1897. Prior to this, three of his paintings had received harsh criticisms, as his symbolism had transformed into something more overtly sexual. All the three paintings were eventually destroyed. In response to the critics, Klimt painted Goldfish, originally named ‘To my Detractors’ but changed it on the advice of his friends. The painting contains the figures of four women, but we see mostly their backs and their bottoms, a goldfish made of gold leaf emerges from the left, surrounded by the women. The press reacted harshly again, perhaps in respect to the girl in the bottom, who smiles provocatively as she shows the viewer her bottom. The women in the canvas are reminiscent of mermaid stories, who would lure men to their suicide. The use of animals is common in Klimt’s work, often symbolizing the beauty of nature, and how humans and animals are together in a single form.