Klimt Tarot - Study Group - Source Paintings

firemaiden

First: links to a few important websites:

1. Beethoven Frieze - offical site: A very large portion of the deck has been adapted from the "Beethoven Frieze" - a series of allegorical paintings meant to illustrate Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Here is the website of the "Sezession" building (name of the movement in Painting that Klimt is associated with) where the paintings are housed. The site shows how the paintings are arranged in situ, gives a synopsis, explanation of each section, symbol by symbol.

2. "Strokes of Gustav" - a University of Virginia hosted site, which gives some VERY high quality scans to many paintings and several drawings.

3. Le Monde des Arts French website, section dedicated to Klimt; more very high quality scans.

4. Jurisprudence, Philosophy, and Medicine
A (Japanese?) site showing black and white reproductions of all three paintings. This is the only site I have been able to find which shows all three. Many many of the cards (the really gross ones) were adapted from three most controversial paintings, created for the University of Vienna. The original canvasses no longer exist, having been burned in 1945. However the original studies for Philosophy and for Medicine do exist.

5. Kunsthistorische Museum Vienna
Several cards are taken from Klimt's Paintings in the Lunettes and Spandrels of the Great Staircase of the Vienna Kunsthistorische Museum. This is the museum's official website, and offers photographs of all the murals, as well as links to their original sketches. FIVE STARS

6. "Gustav Klimt Museum"
Another site with VERY high quality scans, and some wonderful photographs of Klimt himself. Note especially the photo with his cat ;) }) ;)
 

firemaiden

MAJORS

0 - The Fool: central figure in Philosophy

I - The Magician: Hygieia, detail from Medicine

II - The High Priestess: Portrait of Fritza Riedler

III - The Empress: Pallas Athena, with dress from “Greek Antiquity”

IV - The Emperor: adapted from "Florentine Cinquecento" (David)

V - Hierophant: SURPRISE!!! })!

VI - The Lovers: The Kiss

VII - The Chariot: from Medicine. See also Compostion study for Medicine (in colour)

VIII - Justice: Top figure in Jurisprudence: (in between "Truth" and "Law")

IX - The Hermit: also from Jurisprudence.

X - Fortune: Portrait of Adele Block Bauer 1907 - with a wheel added.

XI - Strength: Judith II also sometimes called "Salome".

XII - Hanged Man: adapted from Beethoven frieze (Suffering Humanity).

XIII - Death: Death and Life

XIV - Temperance: At first I thought this was Eve from Adam and Eve. But now I see it is from Sculpture 1986, master drawing for Allegory of Sculpture

XV - The Devil: Typhoeus from Beethoven Frieze: The Hostile Forces
See also: Typhoeus (detail) and Gorgons (detail). Another big repro: Hostile Powers

XVI - Tower: from Procession of the Dead (burned in 1945.)

XVII - Stars: Waterserpents I

XVIII - The Moon: Danae.

XIX - The Sun: Embracing couple from Beethoven Frieze (Praise to Joy – the God descending”. Also see much larger repro (detail)

XX - Judgement: from Medicine

XXI - The World: Hope II
 

firemaiden

The Cups

THE CUPS

Ace of Cups: Love

2 of Cups: "Love Couples" 1903 art print . See also the enlaced couple in “Death and Life” (see Death Card)

3 of Cups: The figure on the right comes from a sketch - a study of hands. (I found it in a book, but so far not on the web)

4 of Cups: Der Neid (Envy) from Drawing for Two Emblems for Ver Sacrum (Der Neid), 1898, Galerie Welz, Salzburg.

5 of Cups: Tragedy

6 of Cups: Putto from "Old Italian Art" (Kunsthistorische Museum)

7 of Cups: from border of Tragedy (The figure in within the border is shown on the five of cups)

8 of Cups: Woman in Black Feather Hat

9 of Cups: "Intemperance" (or "Gluttony") from Beethoven Frieze. See also Hostile Powers (detail).

10 of Cups: Virgin

Knave of Cups: Don't know. Face possibly adapted from "Knight in shining armour" of Beethoven Frieze -

Knight of Cups: Adapted from the Knight in Shining Armour.

Queen of Cups: Emilie Flöge (the artists companion).

King of Cups: Don't know. Maybe adapted from seated men in Idylle???​
 

firemaiden

Pentacles

PENTACLES

Ace of Pentacles: “Ancient Egypt” from Kunsthistorische Museum, Vienna. See also Allegory of Sculpture

2 of Pentacles: Idylle

3 of Pentacles: Music.

4 of Pentacles: found it! (but not on the web :() It's from a sketch, a study for the center gorgon (!) in the Beethoven Frieze.

5 of Pentacles: from Beethoven Frieze: Suffering Humanity see two of wands

6 of Pentacles: The woman leaning forward comes from “the Girl from Tanagra” from "Greek Antiquity". See also original sketch.

7 of Pentacles: Portrait of a Lady

8 of Pentacles: One of several studies for Hope II (See The World)– the sketch can be seen at i-klimt (have patience, LOL)

9 of Pentacles: Portrait of Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein

10 of Pentacles: Avenue in Schlob-Kammer Park

Knave of Pentacles: Adapted from Adam?? See Adam and Eve

Queen of Pentacles: Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer II

King of Pentacles: From Idylle?? (Perhaps all the kings are adapted from Idylle)​
 

firemaiden

The Swords

SWORDS

Ace of Swords: belongs to the Knight in shining armour.

2 of Swords: Detail from Medicine??

3 of Swords: one of three women figures expressing anguish in Jurisprudence.

4 of Swords: see above

5 of Swords: Goldfish

6 of Swords: Beethoven Frieze The nude woman is part of a couple – as Suffering Humanity pleading to the knight in Shining Armour. (Her male counterpart was used for the Hanged Man). The water in the background is from Island in the Atersee

7 of Swords: Waterserpents II

8 of Swords: "Gnawing Grief" from Beethoven Frieze:

9 of Swords: from Philosophy This figure is hard to see.

10 of Swords: The spectral face above and the intense face below from Philosophy

Knave of Swords: Knight in shining armour. Said to represent Mahler. See also Franz Mach’s golden Saint George (Kunsthistorische Museum)

Knight of Swords: Gold Cavalier or “life is a battle” (note Atanassov’s substitution of White for Black horse]

Queen of Swords: Dancer

King of Swords: (from Idylle??)​
 

firemaiden

The Wands

WANDS

Ace of Wands: Hope I

2 of Wands: from "compassion" in Beethoven Frieze - figure with clasped hands above the Knight in Shining Armour, and next to "ambition" who holds the wreath.

3 of wands: Nuda Veritas See also the small figurine in Pallas Athena’s hands (Empress Card) (!!)

4 of Wands: Three Ages of Woman Only two ages show up on this card, the third age is on the 10 of wands

5 of Wands: no idea. (maybe from a study for Judith ??)

6 of Wands: “Ambition” (from Beethoven Frieze)

7 of Wands: Theseus und Minotaur

8 of Wands: "Floating Genii" – from Beethoven Frieze

9 of Wands: "The Arts" from Beethoven Frieze

10 of Wands: Three Ages of Woman. The ten of wands shows the "third age" (the crone) while youth and motherhood are on the four of wands

Knave of wands: Varations on David?? (see Emperor)

Knight of Wands: same??

Queen of Wands: Portrait of Friedericke Marie Beer

14 King Wands: ???????​
 

mythos

Thank you so very much Firemaiden.

I have been a fan of Klimt's work for such a long time ... and, quite wrongly, believed that I had trolled the net aand found, most of his work. How wrong can one person be :(

Imagine my joy when the deck was announced ... and my pleasure in receiving it.

Your work on this is such a bonus. I WILL read with this deck ... someday LOL.

mythos:)
 

firemaiden

So glad you're here, Mythos.

Look! I'm so excited!! i found some more: The Seven of Cups comes directly form the border of Tragoedie (The figure in within the border is shown on the five of cups)

And I thought Temperance came from Adam and Eve, but she's not, she came directly from "Sculpture" 1986, which was a preparatory drawing, I guess for the big painting "Allegory of Sculpture".

The BEAUTIFUL scans come from the library of the university of Szeged, Hungary. The main site is in Hungarian. It was TOTAL luck that I found this beauitful big scan of Sculpture here (!!) (I looked and looked!)
 

firemaiden

P.S. I almost forgot. The card backs!! They of course come from Expectation

And OF COURSE you've all been wondering where the landscapes figure in this marvellous deck!

Well, I didn't even notice at first! But of course - the six of swords uses Island in the Atersee as a background. And then there are many other cards which seem to have backgrounds taken from landscapes.
 

mythos

I'm drooling all over my key board :laugh: I was painting my Strength card today and feeling very happy with my work ... then I see more Klimt, and mythos's painting self-esteem sinks to her boots - well, rubber thongs ... it is summer LOL.

Thank you so much for all your work Firemaiden. His work is so inspiring - and your's too!!!!!! :)

mythos:)

PS: I have to get to Europe. Mythos's 'Europe Fund" is now open :bugeyed: