The Economical Exploitation of Artists After Their Death Using the Example of Gustav Klimt

People usually have pictures in their head if they think of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). The most famous oil paintings of Klimt are "The Kiss", "Tree of Life" or "Adele Bloch Bauer" to name a few. All Klimt paintings sold for millions in art auctions. But Klimt did not only leave his astonishing oilpainting art, in fact he left a whole industry if you look at the Amazon catalogue - Exhibitions, books, art prints, cups, Barbie dolls, mouse pads, cell phone covers, Jewelry, games, etc. - in total you find 1,398 products for Klimt on Amazon. Usually the succession of a death artists are the beneficiaries of an economical exploitation but since Klimt died before 1920, his painting motives are in public domain already.

During his live Klimt did not achieve the status of a very wealthy person as he would by now but he secured financially stability for his family. Klimt's father was an engraver and could only barely feed his family. A proof for this is also the death of Klimt´s youngest sister Anna, who died of weakness because they couldn't afford enough food. It was the primary school teacher of Klimt who convinced the parents that Klimt shall go to art school and also helped him to receive a scholarship for his studies. During his studies Klimt got hired painting work which was common for that time. In the end Klimt's education, his hired work and scholarship helped the family to survive in times of economical crises.

In 2012 the city of Vienna is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Gustav Klimt. There will be several exhibitions in major museums in Vienna and the city is expecting thousands of tourists all over the world. In contrast to the grandiose celebration around Klimt people should keep in mind that several oil paintings of Klimt where seized by the Nazis during the second world war. Maria Altmann, one successor of the Klimt family, even needed to file a law suit against the city of Vienna in order to get back her paintings. Altmann successfully won her lawsuit but it took her till 2006 to achieve that success. Business is business but shouldn't we also keep in mind the intention of the artist who devoted all his life? Is a lawsuit with the shadows of the Nazis really necessary?

Gustav Klimt's primary subject of his paintings were the female body. Maybe all men in the world should start gifting a piece of art to women they are in love with, as a symbol of joy which was the primary intention of Gustav Klimt when he worked on his paintings.

If you want to get to know more about the life of Gustav Klimt, please visit the following links:

Gustav Klimt oilpainting art museum
Gustav Klimt oilpainting greeting cards

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Claude Monet

One of the most well known impressionist painters, Claude Monet, was born in Paris in 1840. A few years after his birth, Monet would move to the French town of Le Havre. His parents owned a supply store and had a very successful business. His father wanted him to continue with the family supply business, while his mother encouraged his talent as an artist. Monet did not follow in his father's footsteps because his dream was to be an artist. He would start pursuing that dream in 1851, when he started to attend school in France.

Claude Monet was not fond of following traditional ideas when it came to his artwork. He found it hard to learn in the art school he attended and would often draw caricatures while in class. He started selling the caricatures, which greatly disappointed his very well-to-do parents. Monet's talents could be seen at a young age and he had his first art showing as a teenager. It was not long after his first art exhibit that his mother passed away and Monet went to live with his aunt, Marie Jeanne.

One of Claude Monet's biggest influences was Eugen Boudin. Boudin gave Monet the motivation he needed to become a great artist. Boudin helped to encourage Monet to start painting, which was something that only started to interest Monet after he met Boudin. Boudin would also encourage Monet to paint what he saw in nature. Boudin played one of the most pivotal roles in helping shape Monet into a successful painter. Monet would serve in the military for several years and then he returned to Paris where he was influenced by several other artists, including Pierre Auguste Renoir.

Claude Monet would end up marrying one of his models, Camille Doncieux. Monet and Camille would have two sons, Jean and Michel. Monet and Camille would struggle financially at first, but eventually Monet would be become more successful. The couple moved to London in 1870 because of the war. It was not long until Monet and Camille returned to France. It was in France that Monet had his first Impressionist art showing. Famous artists, such as Renoir and Cezanne were included in the exhibit. It brought criticism from art critics, but eventually Monet's work was more widely accepted. After the death of his wife in 1979, Monet moved to Giverny where he lived until he died of lung cancer in 1926.

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Life and Work of Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera, more formally known as Diego Maria de la Concepcion Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodriguez was born on December 8, 1886 in Guanajuato, Mexico to well-to-do parents. His father was from Spanish nobility and Rivera had advantages as a result of this. At the age of ten, Rivera was sent to the Academy of San Carlos, located in Mexico City, to study art. His studies continued in Europe thanks to the sponsorship of Veracruz's governor, Teodoro A. Dehesa Mendez. He arrived in 1907 in Europe where he saw the beginnings of cubism as portrayed by Pablo Picasso and others. He embraced this art form before moving to Post-Impressionism.

Upon his return to Mexico in 1921, Diego Rivera began working on murals. He participated in a government sponsored program which was planned by Vasconcelos. Other prominent artists who took part in this program included David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco and Jean Charlot. In 1922, Rivera's first mural was completed. Creation was painted in Mexico City in the Bolivar Auditorium located in the National Preparatory School. That same year, Rivera helped found the Revolutionary Union of Technical Workers before joining Mexico's Communist Party. The focus of his murals switched to Mexican society and the 1910 Revolution.

Rivera, while involved in these activities, developed his own style. He began painting large simplified figures using bold colors. There was an Aztec influence in his art that can be seen in murals in Cuernavaca, Mexico City and Texcoco. In 1927, Diego Rivera chose to head back overseas where he arrived in Moscow. He was asked to paint a mural in Moscow for the Red Army Club, but was ordered out of the country in 1928 due to involvement in anti-Soviet politics. As a result, he returned to Mexico. The following year the Mexican Communist Party chose to expel him. He married Frida Kahlo in August of that year and continued his work. He then accepted a commission from the American Ambassador. He was to paint murals in Cuernavaca in the Palace of Cortez.

From 1930 to 1933, Diego Rivera painted murals in a number of locations in America before returning to Mexico where he repainted an earlier mural. He returned to America one last time in 1940 to paint Pan American Unity. Mr. Rivera passed away on November 24, 1957 in Mexico City, but his works still exist today and are a great example of both social realism and the Mexican Mural Movement.

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