Water Castle 1908

Gustav Klimt made this painting, Water Castle, with oil on canvas. There is such a dreamy quality to the image, with Klimt’s almost pointillist mark-making constructing the scene, the result is a softening of forms, like everything is gently melting. The texture of the paint is smooth, the brushstrokes are soft, small dashes of green and yellow – an all-overness that vibrates and shimmers, creating a sensation of light reflecting on the water. Look at the way the green of the foliage is reflected in the lake, creating an immersive, almost abstract field of color and light. The reflection isn't quite right, slightly smudged and blurred, this disrupts our sense of space and perspective. It reminds me a little of Monet’s waterlilies, with its emphasis on capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, but Klimt brings a unique sensibility to the subject. You get the feeling that for Klimt, painting was a process of seeing and feeling, of attuning himself to the world around him and trying to capture its essence on canvas.