From 1876 to 1883 Gustav Klimt attended the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts and from 1879 he started working with his brother Ernst Klimt on decorative paintings, designed for public buildings in Vienna, Bucharest and Rijeka. In 1897 Klimt was one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession. He was chairman until he resigned in 1905. Gustav Klimt created a new and highly individual style in the Austrian art world. He broke with the conventional academic ideals.

Klimt's 'Golden Phase' was marked by positive critical reaction and success. Many of his paintings from this period used gold leaf; the prominent use of gold can first be traced back to Pallas Athene (1898) and Judith I (1901), although the works most popularly associated with this period are the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) and The Kiss painting (1907–1908). Klimt travelled little but trips to Venice and Ravenna, both famous for their beautiful mosaics, most likely inspired his gold technique and his Byzantine imagery. In 1904, he collaborated with other artists on the lavish Palais Stoclet, the home of a wealthy Belgian industrialist, which was one of the grandest monuments of the Art Nouveau age.

Especially his later work is defined by the use of intensive colors, golden backgrounds, ornamental layouts, erotic elements and heavy symbolism. Although his work was controversal, he had a strong influence on the cultural world of his time and established himself as a very popular painter in the Viennese society. In Vienna's museums you can admire some of his most famous works. The Museum of Applied Arts is proud of its collection. At the Belvedere you can take in 'Der Kuss' (The Kiss) in all its glory.

Gustav Klimt, the Vienna master painted the Kiss oil painting in 1907. The painting depicts a couple surrounded by a gold blanket and ornaments sharing a moment of shear passion - the perfect kiss.In the oil and gold masterpiece, the man appears standing as he holds in his arms the kneeling woman. The two seem to be positioned on a flower field, kissing, totally engaged with one another. The woman seems to be following the lead of her partner, but is not taking an active part.  The patterns of the man are mostly black and white rectangles, while the woman is engulfed in flowers. The identity of the people depicted in Gustav Klimt oil painting is not exactly clear; some suggest that it is Klimt himself and his beloved partner, Emilie Floge. However, that is sheer speculation as Klimt made it a point never to paint himself.

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was one of the most innovative and controversial artists of the early twentieth century. Influenced by European avant-garde movements represented in the annual Secession exhibitions, Klimt's mature style combines richly decorative surface patterning with complex symbolism and allegory, often with overtly erotic content.