Analysis of the Place of Dress and Dressed Women in the Works of Gustav Klimt

Abstract
Dress has always been among the significant themes of the painters’ works. Selecting the dress appropriate to the subject and how skillfully this is displayed in painting manifests the significant role of dress as a descriptive and powerful instrument. Being dresses congruently, the subject can be highly glorified and magnified and precisely viewing the dress specifications one can discover the subjects’ personality traits, place and social position. Up to the late nineteenth century, dress was displayed associated with that age’s society culture painted realistically. Late nineteenth century and early twentieth century witnessed Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt, who painted innovatively inspired by symbolism.
In the works of Gustav Klimt also dress is given a particular place. Majority of his works are themed by women and dress. Women’s dress does not resemble the realistic samples of the time in his works and neither in fabric design nor in the general form there does one see a resemblance to previous art. These dresses function colonially and symbolically in addition to their unique aesthetics. This research aims at investigation into and analysis of the theme of dress and dressed women in Klimt’s paintings to discover latent encrypted meanings behind the women’s dress and to study the effective social factors on the artist’s works. Moreover this is to find the answer the question as follows: i) what concepts are connoted in Klimt’s works and Under what social or cultural influences the artist selected his painting’s subjects, i.e. dressed women? The research is a descriptive-analytic in term of methodology with a library based approach towards the data collection. Firstly, nine sample of the most reputable Klimt’s paintings were picked up the theme of which revolved around the dress and woman. Following, the association between dress, its decorations, women and their place were studied on the sociological basis.
The findings imply that, beyond the aesthetic functions of dress, this symbolizes the women’s individuality, sexual equality and freedom as well as symbolizing a glorified celebration against men. This is exemplified by overemphasis on women’s dress through decorative, abstract and geometric designs, hero dressed women displaying in contrast to the mythological and religious themes in painting, depiction of loose and uniform dresses in contrast to the classical dresses which are manifestations of the women’s identity change and highlight their reviving role in modern society formation at that age. The proof of what implied as findings can be the extension of psychological theories in support of women’s sexual desires and emphasis on mythological figures such as Eron, emergence of modernism in Europe and simultaneity of painters of Vienna Secession Movement with feminism movement. The simultaneity of these factors significantly influences the selection of dress as a women’s freedom of speech right instrument by painters.