1899 (ca.), Gustav Klimt, Mermaids (Silver Fish) -- Albertina (Vienna)
From the museum label: The juxtaposition in this room of Klimt's allegory Mermaids (Silverfish) and Monet's Water Lily Pond presents two contrasting interpretations of the water theme, which around 1900 was a popular subject. Monet's Impressionist perception of the light's alternating impact on the pond, which is covered with water lilies, leads to the dissolution of form and colour. Klimt, on the other hand, has chosen a Symbolist and erotically connoted interpretation of the underwater world. Rendered in countless nuances of gold, the filtered sunlight blends in with the deep green of the water to form the mysterious backdrop for two demonic, tadpole-like mermaids and passing silverfish. Both Monet and Klimt respond to the fleetingness of natural phenomena, each in his own individual manner.
1899 (ca.), Gustav Klimt, Mermaids (Silver Fish) -- Albertina (Vienna)
From the museum label: The juxtaposition in this room of Klimt's allegory Mermaids (Silverfish) and Monet's Water Lily Pond presents two contrasting interpretations of the water theme, which around 1900 was a popular subject. Monet's Impressionist perception of the light's alternating impact on the pond, which is covered with water lilies, leads to the dissolution of form and colour. Klimt, on the other hand, has chosen a Symbolist and erotically connoted interpretation of the underwater world. Rendered in countless nuances of gold, the filtered sunlight blends in with the deep green of the water to form the mysterious backdrop for two demonic, tadpole-like mermaids and passing silverfish. Both Monet and Klimt respond to the fleetingness of natural phenomena, each in his own individual manner.