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Klimt, an Austrian symbolist and Art Nouveau painter, was the President of the Vienna Secession, Austria’s avant-garde art group of the early 20th century. The symbol of their group (including artists such as Fabiani and Auchentaller) was Pallas Athena, the powerful Greek goddess of war and wisdom. Their art was generally decorative, ornate, and an escape from the boring, tepid European world. Their style was similar to the Art Nouveau movement in France which was also ornamental and had sinuous, organic lines. The painting depicts a sunflower at the top of a dense stalk with heavy leaves and a base of bright flowers underneath. This was painted during Klimt’s “Golden Phase,” where he put gold leaf on his images for a luxurious effect. The image has a certain sparkling, ephemeral mood like this “Eden” the viewer is looking at is dream-like and celestial. Klimt’s most famous painting, “The Kiss,” also used gold leaf and had an iridescent surface. Like that painting, “The Sunflower” has an upright, triangular form in the middle; it could be another portrait of the lovers in the “The Kiss” or Emilie Floge, Klimt’s longtime confidant who was a fashion designer and dress maker. The sunflower could be her head while the flower bush on the bottom is the ruffle of her dress. This oil on canvas is natural and organic, but seems to idealize nature. The dominant colors are deep blue and varying shades of green and yellow. There is interesting bluish/purplish highlighting on the leaves that echoes the white spots illuminating the shady background. The uniform dark backdrop draws the eye to the central sunflower, which is downturned like it is frowning (although it is still opulent and regal looking). A certain sense of sadness pervades the image; the feeling is only heightened by the blue tones (like Picasso’s “blue period.”) It is also similar to Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers,” which is in the post-impressionist style. Both “The Sunflower” and “The Kiss” were displayed in the Art Show in Vienna in 1908 and continue to inspire fascination/awe in their viewers today.