Quotes by Gustav Klimt

• There is no self-portrait of me.
• If the weather is good I go into the nearby wood - there I am painting a small beech forest (in the sun) with a few conifers mixed in. This takes until 8 'o clock.
• Whoever wants to know something about me - as an artist which alone is significant - they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognise what I am and what I want.
• True relaxation, which would do me the world of good, does not exist for me.
• There is nothing that special to see when looking at me. I'm a painter who paints day in day out, from morning till evening - figure pictures and landscapes, more rarely portraits.
• After tea it's back to painting - a large poplar at dusk with a gathering storm. From time to time instead of this evening painting session I go bowling in one of the neighbouring villages, but not very often.
• All art is erotic.
• I can paint and draw. I believe this myself and a few other people say that they believe this too. But I'm not certain of whether it's true.
• Even when I have to write a simple letter I'm scared stiff as if faced with looming seasickness.
• Although even when I am being idle I have plenty of food for thought both early and late - thoughts both about and not about art.
• Sometimes I miss out the morning's painting session and instead study my Japanese books in the open.
• On my first days here I did not start work immediately but, as planned, I took it easy for a few days - flicked through books, studied Japanese art a little.