Question 1

True or false: Klimt's studio was famously filled with cats, and he often painted while they wandered around.

Accepted Answer

False. Klimt actually had many cats and let them roam his studio, but this is a known anecdote that's often exaggerated. He did love cats though.

Question 2

True or false: Klimt painted 'The Kiss' in 1907-1908, but it was initially rejected by critics.

Accepted Answer

False. 'The Kiss' was an immediate success and bought by the Austrian government before it was even finished. It was widely praised.

Question 3

True or false: Klimt was a founding member of the Vienna Secession, a radical art movement that rejected tradition.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1897, Klimt co-founded the Vienna Secession, a group of artists who rebelled against conservative academic art in favor of modern styles.

Question 4

True or false: Klimt's famous 'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I' was destroyed during World War II.

Accepted Answer

False. The painting survived the war, was looted by Nazis, and later returned to the family. It sold for $135 million in 2006.

Question 5

True or false: Klimt fathered 14 children, most of whom he never acknowledged or supported.

Accepted Answer

True. Klimt had at least 14 illegitimate children with various models and lovers, but he never married or publicly recognized most of them.

Question 6

True or false: Klimt often painted with gold leaf because he was inspired by Byzantine mosaics he saw in Ravenna.

Accepted Answer

True. After visiting the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, in 1903, Klimt was so struck by the gold mosaics that he began using gold leaf extensively.

Question 7

True or false: Klimt's work 'Medicine' was praised by the University of Vienna and displayed in its main hall for decades.

Accepted Answer

False. His 'Faculty Paintings,' including 'Medicine,' were heavily criticized as pornographic and never installed. They were destroyed by the SS in 1945.

Question 8

True or false: Klimt never painted a self-portrait, famously saying he was 'not a very interesting subject.'

Accepted Answer

True. Unlike most major artists, Klimt left no self-portraits. He stated, 'Whoever wants to know something about me... should look carefully at my pictures.'

Gustav Klimt Trivia Questions