Gustav Klimt, Pear Tree, 1903 (reworked by the artist 1903/1918), Harvard Art Museums / Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Otto Kallir
This major exhibition of Gustav Klimt’s (1862–1918) idyllic depictions in the landscape genre features significant paintings made while the artist was on his Sommerfrische (summer holiday) in the Austrian countryside. “Klimt Landscapes” presents highlights from Neue Galerie New York’s holdings, such as Park at Kammer Castle (1909) and Forester’s House in Weissenbach II (Garden) (1914), alongside important loans from museums and private collections in Europe and the United States, including works from the Harvard Art Museums, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Wien Museum. For the last twenty years of his career, Klimt devoted considerable energy to painting landscapes during his summer vacations on the Attersee in the Salzkammergut region of Austria, known for its tranquil lakes. Created purely for his own pleasure, these bucolic scenes became among his most sought-after pictures and were highly coveted by collectors. Most were made in a square format—a reflection of his fascination with photography.