[Disclaimer, this post contains adult content]
Hi everyone!
How are you all doing? I hope your week has been filled with positive moments and energy. So far, January has been personally tough on my mental wellbeing. It might be due to all the work that was just put on pause during the festive period and is kicking off again. As a result, I did not think I was actively building recovery into my schedule. As I slowly learn how to listen to my body and brain, I recognised I needed to detox from the stress of work and chores and do one of my favourite things – seeing Art.
I love making use of my Art Pass to visit the numerous exhibitions in London. I hope that I can keep this up as this is the reason for the blog in the first place! What is better than starting the year with one of my favourite places – the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London. Last Sunday, I went to visit the Klimt/Schiele: Drawings (from the Albertina Museum, Vienna) exhibit. I bought the ticket without knowing anything about the artists; only after wandering in the exhibition I realised that Klimt created the infamous painting “The Kiss” (1907-1908)! I clearly still have much to see, read, and experience but I am very grateful that I can continue to learn by visiting all these wonderful exhibitions curated in London.
“Klimt / Schiele: Drawings is a unique opportunity to see extraordinary drawings produced by both artists, considered to be some of the 20th century’s most important works on paper.”
Exhibition
The exhibition marks the centenary of the deaths of Klimt and Schiele in 1918. They were the two foremost early modernist artists. Despite the age difference between the two men (28 years); they drew on each other for inspiration, Schiele drew on Klimt in his younger years (before 1910) by the time of their deaths Klimt was inspired by Schiele, who by that time was generally acknowledged as his successor.
The exhibition took c.1 hour to walk around with audio headphones. I recommend paying for the audio guide because it provided so much more of a story than the little cards next to the paintings. It has proven to be a very popular exhibition, so for those who are interested please do book your tickets in advance. I booked the first slot on a Sunday morning and it was already packed!
Female Form
I found that the exhibition was a great introduction to the beautifully fluid lines of Klimt and the use of colour by Schiele. There was a lot of adult content so those with a delicate disposition; I would not recommend this exhibition as there was a significant focus on the female form. Personally, it was refreshing to see the artist moving away from the usual “refined” way of drawing women (usually clothed) to something that was much rawer and more honest. I also loved the fact that both artists liked using charcoal or graphite pencil on brown packing paper. Below are a few of my favourite pieces:
Walking through the exhibition, which is ordered in roughly a chronological way, moving from Klimt to Schiele and the bringing their drawings side by side at the end. I thought it was clear why Klimt had a reputation as the most sought-after portrait painter by the fashionable society of the time. I personally preferred his style compared to Schiele who was bolder with his colours and lines. Schiele was imprisoned in 1912 for the charges of child abduction, seduction and immorality (scandalous!) which had a profound effect on his work at the time. It was fascinating how his art gave a glimpse of his mental state.
4 out 5 Pineapples
I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and highly recommend a visit. I would give it 4 out 5 pineapples!
- Have any of you been?
- What did you think?
- Or did any of you know of the artists before, if yes, who is your favourite?
As always, I would love to hear from you!
With Sweet & Sour Love,
Pineapple Chicken x
P.S. For those who are interested in the latest with my boyfriend and different content, check out his latest post on crypto trading.
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