Klimt’s Three Ages of a Woman
This quite often overlooked oil on canvas masterpiece by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt reflects on the inevitable human cycle of birth, life, and decay. Klimt is widely known for his depiction of womanhood throughout his life, as most of his work pays tribute to women around him. The three woman in this painting in particular leaves us convinced that we are looking at the same woman in three stages of her life. In the right, a Mother held her Baby, manifesting the pristine, sinless existence of mankind newly-brought to earth with her left cheek resting on her head. The two on the right showed a particular auras of purity, luminescence with the vivid backdrop of blues and whites. Juxtaposing to the left in which shown an elderly lady, bent, with her palm on his head looking down, not showing a tip of her face, supplemented with dark and grim backdrop. Three Ages of Woman is a beautiful union of womanhood and life that feels real despite its dreamlike portrayal.
Written on 13th July, 2019
