The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer

Anne-Marie O'Conner

Meeting: October 19 @ 6-7:30 PM

Location: 1308 Third Avenue, Spring Lake, NJ

Wine Selection: TBD

Summary: Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. Klimt is noted for his paintings, murals, sketches, and other objets d'art. Klimt's primary subject was the female body, and his works are marked by a frank eroticism. He is best known for the paintings created during his “golden phase", many of which include gold leaf. Since the 1990s, he has been one of the artists whose paintings fetch top prices at auctions.

In The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, author Anne-Marie O'Connor explores the fascinating true story behind Klimt's most famous painting, often referred to as "The Woman in Gold." The book delves into the life of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the woman portrayed in the painting, and her family's history, which was intertwined with the cultural and political upheavals of 20th-century Europe, particularly during World War II as well as the legal battle to reclaim the artwork, which was wrongfully seized by the Nazis during the war and later became the subject of a restitution case. "The Lady in Gold" offers a compelling blend of art, history, and human drama, shedding light on the enduring legacy of this iconic painting and the individuals whose lives were affected by it.

About Art Book Club: We meet monthly at Kelly-McKenna Gallery to discuss all topics art, art history, and design. 

You can purchase our monthly reading selections here at Thunder Road Books; (973) 436-0914.

Our monthly wine selection is available at Bottle Shop of Spring Lake; (732) 449-5525