Gustave Klimt was born in Austria born in 1862, and studied at the School of Applied Arts in Vienna. He and his brother set up a studio whose chief activity was the execution of decorative murals but in 1898 Klimt began to strike out on his own. That same year Klimt, influenced by art developing around Europe at the time, would be the leader of the Viennese Secession. The Secession wished to separate itself from the rules and regulations of the Austrian Academy of Arts, revolting in much the same fashion as the French Impressionists did a decade before. Klimt emerged as the leading Austrian painter of this new style, called in "Jugenstiel" in Austria, or Art Nouveau.

Art Nouveau was a decorative style that spread first from England and then throughout Europe, it's main theme centered around a long, sinuous line reminiscent of creeping plant vines. Art Nouveau was a deliberate attempt to create a new style in reaction against the academic style of the second half of the 19th century instead of imitating varying styles of the past.

Klimt derived inspiration from sources as remote as ancient Greek and Assyrian art, and Byzantine friezes in Italy. This, along with the flowing tendency of Art Nouveau, culminated to create an ornamental, linear technique, with mosaic like surfaces. The subject and theme of woman can be seen again and again in Klimt's work, and indeed the free-flowing lines of the Art Nouveau movement have a distinctly feminie quality.

In 1903 Klimt reached the height of his popularity with his gaining of the University of Vienna's commission to paint their auditorium ceiling. It was unfortunately a failure, the works caused an outrage and were disliked by the critics and the public alike.

After this failure Klimt seemed to redirect his activity, his increasingly ornamental style led him to back to his love of the applied arts, ceramics, graphic designs, and illustration.