Death and Life

Gustav Klimt’s large painting Death and Life, created in 1910, features not a personal death but rather merely an al rical Grim Reaper who gazes at “life” with a malicious grin. This “life” is comprised of all generations: every age group is represented, from the baby to the grandmother, in this depiction of the never-ending circle of life. Death may be able to swipe individuals from life, but life itself, humanity as a whole, will always elude his grasp. The circle of life likewise repeats itself in the diverse, wonderful, pastel-colored circular ornaments which adorn life like a garland. The painting gained the first prized at the International Art Exibition in Rome. Klimt described this painting as his most important figurative work. Nevertheless he began making changes with this version in 1915, only that the painting by then had already been framed for a long time. The background, reportedly once gold-colored, was made grey, and both death and life were given further ornaments. Standing before the original and examining the left interior edge of Josef Hoffmann’s frame for the painting, one can still discern traces of the subsequent over-painting, which was done by Klimt himself.