The Beethoven Frieze: The Longing for Happiness. Left wall 1902

Gustav Klimt conjured this section of "The Beethoven Frieze," titled "The Longing for Happiness," in Vienna, Austria, using mixed media on plaster. Look at those ethereal figures on the left. They are so lightly drawn, almost floating. I imagine Klimt building up the layers, scratching back, and wiping away, searching for just the right balance. I see him, brush in hand, stepping back, squinting, then diving in again. There's a yearning quality to their outstretched arms. Are they reaching, or are they imploring? I don't know. And then this knight in shining armor. Is this a modern knight? Some kind of Art Nouveau, golden robot? The way Klimt layers the patterns and textures, it is so beautiful and ornamental. I’m reminded of the decorative impulses of painters like Matisse, their appetite for patterns. Ultimately, painting is an exchange. Artists are constantly riffing off one another, having this ongoing conversation across time. Each work is a continuation of the dialogue.