Schubert at the Piano

[4] Upon completing his studies at the Vienna School of Decorative Arts in 1883, Klimt began to focus on mural painting.

[4] Klimt was one of the founding artists of the Vienna Secession, who championed Art Nouveau over the more "academic" style of the time.

[6] Beyond his own circle, Klimt’s influence was felt by many members of the creative community such as composer Gustav Mahler, writers Arthur Schnitzler and Robert Musil, and architect Adolf Loos.

[3] She wears a high, white collared dress with rosy florals, painted in vivid and legible brushstrokes.

Noting the style of their dress, some sources suggest that it's anachronistic, bearing closer resemblance to Klimt's period than Schubert's.

The symbolic nature of these paintings wasn't well received by the university, so Klimt decided to end his contract.

Jewish factory owner August Lederer purchased these three works and he and his family went on to become avid collectors, later acquiring Music II and Schubert at the Piano.

In 1933, Hitler sought to purge Germany of "degenerate artists," believing the modern art scene to be sullied by the dominance of "...Jewish dealers, gallery owners, and collectors.

"[8] Rather oddly, the Third Reich held an exhibition of Klimt's art in Vienna in 1943, seeming to make an exception for an artist they deemed to be an Austrian icon.

[1] Thirteen of Klimt's paintings were stored there, and in May of 1945, on the heels of German surrender, an SS unit set off explosives in the castle.