With today came a return to class, as well as a return to the gorgeous Belvedere palace! After class, I went out on my own for what turned out to be a stunning art experience – the Secession building. Joseph Maria Olbrich built the structure in 1897 in gorgeous Jugendstil design, with Klimt as the group’s first president. The building has on it the group’s motto "Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit" ("For every age its art. For art its Freedom"). The building had those words removed in 190
8, three years after Klimt and a large group left the Secession. The building was bombed during World War II, and retreating German soldiers set it on fire as well. It’s now been renovated and serves as a host to art exhibitions (including the current ridiculous one that I could not decipher - why was I watching a man mow a lawn?), as well as its one permanent display – the Beethoven Frieze (http://www.secession.at/e.html). The Beethoven frieze is one of the most amazing works of art I have ever seen. It’s put up on walls, higher than eye level, in a cool room beneath the main floor. It is the whole purpose of the room. I still cannot believe it was meant to be only for the exhibition (the 14th of the Secession), and it was painted directly onto the walls. Luckily, it was preserved and now remains in the Secession building. It is based on Wagner’s int
erpretation of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and form a narrative that you follow when you enter the room. It does not do it justice to describe it, but it is so creative, so stunning, that I could not leave the room. I had to go around it a few times to “get” it, but once I did, I fell absolutely in love! His use of materials – the start of the gold, the ornaments attached onto it – is astounding, as is his depth of symbolism and his overall incredible vision. It is filled with such beauty and detail, as in what I call the “gold explosion” of the last part of the frieze, when they obtain happiness and harmony. I always notice the portrayal of fingers and hands in art, and I really enjoyed Klimt’s – he makes the fingers of the happy couple very distinct and important signs of their joy. The women who initially are “yearning for happiness” – their fingers point forward in the beginning, but when they come across appeasement through poetry (and stunning gold), their fingers no longer search forwards. Klimt is saying that it is the arts that lead us into joy and harmony, and on witnessing the frieze, I’d have to agree.
After that great art experience, I walked around the Museums Quarter for awhile and then headed to Stadtpark to read and enjoy some lunch. The park is quite popular with the elderly of
The park proved to be a nice interlude before my return to the 
Belvedere and to Klimt.
I had not been able to finish the Belvedere on my first visit, so I used this opportunity to visit the remaining rooms and return to the Klimt before I left. I saw some Biedermeier paintings, as well as many religious paintings. One painting, about a Habsburg duke, had a great story behind it. Ernst the Iron went out to marry a lady, and on the way, encountered a bear trying to kill a woman! So he kills the bear, and of course, the woman is the lady he wanted to marry! Yay for a happily ever after story and a great painting!
I also loved the painting by Oscar Laske called “Ship of Fools”, which was done in 1923. In it, there’s a character from a Bruegel painting as well as the use of Klimt gold! I didn’t get enough time to properly examine it, but I’m sure it has many other references and little surprises within it.
After leaving the Belvedere (probably for the last time!) it was off for a first time at a heurigen! We chose a touristy one, since it was the easiest to get to and it takes some time to get to the area. I’m glad I went to a touristy one, but I never will go again! I did enjoy the food and the wine, but the atmosphere is probably not as nice as one that’s more hidden
away. It was still a fun experience and of course, another great day in
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