Beethoven Frieze: This Kiss to the Whole World
1901–1902 · Casein, gold and semi-precious stones on plaster · Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
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About this work
- Artist
- Gustav Klimt (1862–1918)
- Year
- 1901–1902
- Medium
- Casein, gold and semi-precious stones on plaster
- Original size
- 215 × 481 cm (panel)
- Collection
- Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna (on view in the Secession building)
- Movement
- Vienna Secession
- Series
- Beethoven Frieze
On a pale grey plaster ground, long-haired figures of the Arts rise in gold on the left; in the centre a choir of women in rose dresses patterned with gold stand in rows; and on the right a naked couple embrace beneath a golden arch, their feet in water. Klimt painted the frieze in 1902 for the fourteenth Secession exhibition, devoted to Beethoven, working in casein, gold and inlays directly on the walls. This panel closes the cycle with the line from the Ninth Symphony, this kiss to the whole world. Owned by the Belvedere, it is shown in the Secession building in Vienna.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
Pale grey plaster, rose and burnished gold make a long, quiet panel for a living room, music room or above a sofa on a white or soft grey wall. Pair it with Klimt's The Kiss, hung at 24×16 in a black frame.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Vienna Secession painting
- Era
- 20th century (1901–1902)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Palette
- gold
- Mood
- decorative, sophisticated
- Rooms
- living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, anniversary, her, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×16. Prints at 18×12, 24×16 in — 18×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×16 above a console or sideboard.
Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — dark wood flatters the lighter palette; black sharpens it.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is Beethoven Frieze: This Kiss to the Whole World in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Beethoven Frieze: This Kiss to the Whole World painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
