Emilie Flöge&Gustav Klimt - The Kiss -

The Kiss 

Emilie Floge 

Emilie Floge & Gustav Klimt

Emilie Flöge, Gustav Klimt's friend and model, was 28 when she posed for this painting. She was soon to create the very successful Viennese fashion house, Schwestern Flöge, that she directed from 1904 to 1938. With her thin face, azure blue eyes, steadfast gaze and body draped in a typically extravagant "Klimtesque" dress, Emilie Flöge in this portrait is the perfect embodiment of the new turn-of-the-century Viennese beauty. The painting is one of several portraits of women (Damenbildnis) that were shown in 1903 at the Klimt Kollektive exhibition, an event that marked the beginning of a new stylistic era in Vienna for this art form


The pattern on the dress is inspired by Japanese stencil techniques and Byzantine mosaics. Emerging casually and gracefully from a mysterious blue-tinged background, Emilie Flöge is silhouetted by the unusual ornamental fan. Klimt's first introduction of the ornamented backgrounds that would become so familiar in his later portraits. In addition, Emilie's beltless dress heralds the appearance of more liberal clothing fashions that will encourage greater freedom for both body and art - very much in the spirit of the call by the Viennese Secession for more creativity in all aspects of the decorative arts. Klimt cared deeply for his sister-in-law Emilie Flöge, a feeling that combined affection with mutual respect for their respective artistic talents. This personal connection was responsible for the portrait's becoming part of the Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien's collection in 1908. 
Although Klimt never married, he had affairs with many women in both high and low classes of society. The name that is most often discussed is Emilie Floge, the fashion designer and Klimt’s sister-in-law. Art historians have often interpreted their lifelong companionship as Klimt’s ardent, albeit spiritual, need for Floge and her loyal and Platonic love for Klimt. The postcards from Klimt to Floge, however, show a remarkably taciturn and inaffection- ate correspondence. Likewise, Klimt painted only two portraits of Floge during their friendship of almost thirty years. Klimt liked to paint the women with whom he was attached, and the lack of such works inspired by Floge is worth noting. These might be evidence to the na- ture of their intimate friendship—that it was just that, and no more. 
While we may be familiar with the fabulous imagi- nation of Gustav Klimt and his portraits of femmes fatales or mythical women, we are less aware of the fact that the artist also made a name for himself in fashion. With his mistress Emilie Floge, who managed one of the most prominent couture houses in Vienna, he designed "reform" dresses, thus taking part in the revolutionary movement that was rocking artistic and middle class Vienna at the time. By photographing these designs for a magazine, Gustav Klimt became the first photographer of the history of fashion.

La Japonaise Camille Monet in Japanese Costume

Monet exhibited this work at the second group show of the Impressionist painters in 1876, where it attracted much attention. Large-scale figure paintings had traditionally been considered the most significant challenge for an artist. Using this format, Monet created a virtuoso display of brilliant color that is also a witty comment on the current Paris fad for all things Japanese. The woman shown wrapped in a splendid kimono and surrounded by fans is Monet's wife, Camille, wearing a blond wig to emphasize her Western identity.
Camille Monet on Her Death Bed

Claude Monet painted this portrait after his first wife Camille's death on September 5, 1879. He mentioned later that when he looked at her, instead of seeing his dead wife and former model, he saw interesting colors he would like to paint. This may have made him regretful and moody for the last minutes he stood there. Perhaps his love of painting inspired him to do this portrait. Monet included lots of blue and gray in this painting, as well as yellow/orange and red. Some people might feel that Monet made the portrait too light by including those hues. The light seems to be coming from the right as it shines upon Camille's face. Although you can determine that Camille wears a shroud and can definitely make out her face, the rest of the painting is less clearly described. Are those Camille's arms? Is she dressed in black? Does she have flowers? Is her mouth open? Or closed? Many have puzzled on these questions. I advise you to do the same if you have any spare time. Monet was very sad at Camille's death. She was his favorite model and had allowed him to produce the paintings below. She also appears in other paintings, whether as the subject or a background feature. Usually, Monet's son, Jean is with her. Monet also had a son named Michel, but he usually does not appear with Camille.

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Camille Doncieux (1847 – 5 September 1879) was the first wife of Claude Monet.She modelled for her husband on several occasions, including for the painting Camille, "The Woman in the Green Dress".
They were married in 1870. She became ill in 1875. They had two sons; Jean was born in 1867, Michel was born in 1878. This second child weakened her already fading health.
She died of tuberculosis on 5 September, 1879; Monet painted her on her death bed.