Klimt has always been a problematic artist. In contemporary terms, he was a sell-out, but that hardly addresses the situation of a man good with the brushes a hundred years ago trying to make a bit more than a decent living for himself. That was the Nouveau years. The panels and friezes and commissions, the society portraits, the weird freaky paintings with all the gold paint. The man had great talent, and there's that reason that to this day you can buy prints and posters and postcards of his most famous paintings. I happen to own a "Die Kusse" night-light.

It is terribly refreshing to own a volume dedicated to the man's landscapes. For the most part, these were paintings Klimt did for himself while vacationing with his friends in the summer months. They were not meant for sale. Often they were done in an audacious--for the time--square format. A few of the canvases are pretty tedious. But a great number are inspiring and terribly original. It's great to see the lot collected, and well-worth the look, not to mention purchase.

Klimt seems to be best known for his figuratives - any study of his work should include his landscapes. A very nice book with good color plates.

It is a pleasure to have access to these beautiful works, which are more frequently overshadowed by the attention given to images of people and mythic figures for which Klimt is best known. These landscapes are revealing of both the subject matter and of Klimt the artist as he probed the composition and colors of the places that intrigued him.