Landscape Garden (Meadow in Flower) 1906

Editor: We're looking at Gustav Klimt’s "Landscape Garden (Meadow in Flower)" from 1906, oil on canvas. The way the brushstrokes create this textured surface is pretty striking. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Looking at Klimt's technique here, especially his use of impasto, makes me consider the very physicality of paint. How does the materiality of this oil paint, commercially produced and readily available, affect our understanding of landscape painting as a genre? Is it a democratizing force or does it dilute the experience? Editor: That’s a great question. The density of the paint almost obscures the actual landscape, flattening the space. Curator: Exactly! Consider, too, the burgeoning industry surrounding art materials at this time. Klimt, consciously or not, engages with that economy through his choice of materials. Are these fields really viewed through a naturalist's eye or rather through the lens of a consumer society? The small dashes, applied with such vigor, mimic manufactured goods arrayed for viewing or perhaps consumption. Editor: That makes me see the painting differently. I was initially drawn to the vibrant colors but thinking about the context of material production gives the artwork a whole new dimension. Curator: And think about the labor involved, not just Klimt's, but also those who mined and processed the pigments. This seemingly idyllic scene has layers of industrial activity embedded within its very fabric. Where do our raw materials come from? What does it mean to turn nature into something we then turn into art? Editor: I never thought about it like that, considering all the processes and work behind creating art, besides just the artist’s vision! It makes you realize how much more is going on than initially meets the eye. Curator: Indeed, the intersection of material and artistic creation complicates how we perceive "natural" scenes.