Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was born in July of 1862 in Baumgarten, Austria, to a family of immigrants, along with six brothers and sisters. Because of their delicate financial situation, Klimt’s parents were always in search of affordable living situations. Their position only got worse after the Vienna stock market crashed when he was only 11 years old.

Moved by his sister's death, Gustav focused on drawing, but was soon discouraged by his father. However, with the assistance of his brother Ernst, he was able to be accepted into the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, but was forced to drop out after one year due to financial problems. He finally found some success after attempting a career in architecture and worked as an illustrator for an art magazine called Ver Sacrum. To afford materials and supplies for his artwork, he took on portrait commissions as well as contributing illustrations to other publications.