Between 1890 and 1918, Vienna emerged as one of Europe's cultural hubs. Renowned figures in music, literature, philosophy, architecture, and painting positioned this imperial capital as a cradle of European intellectual thought, influencing the development of modernism across the Western world. While Sigmund Freud and Arthur Schnitzler openly explored themes of "Eros" and "Thanatos", these topics had scarcely been discussed in Vienna's literary and intellectual circles before their time. Austrian philosopher Otto Weininger, in his book Sex and Character, cautioned against the "threatening power" of female emancipation, categorizing any woman who prioritized sexual pleasure over motherhood as morally defective, even labeling them as prostitutes. Against this backdrop, Gustav Klimt depicted women as self-indulgent figures exuding magnetic eroticism, while contemporaries such as Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka unveiled the raw and unsettling realities of the modern body, laying bare its vulnerabilities and provocations (Metlić, 2022).

Klimt's portraits reflect the duality in societal attitudes toward women: they were simultaneously objects of desire and custodians of social order. His idealized portrayals obscure the diversity and agency of women's subjectivity. Freud's psychoanalytic theories, emerging in Klimt's era, introduced an awareness of the subconscious and repressed emotions. Klimt's representations often reveal an inner sense of repression and anxiety. As Simone de Beauvoir posits in The Second Sex, women are frequently regarded as the "Other” in society (Beauvoir, 2015). They are cast as idealized entities serving family and society, reduced to objects of observation and evaluation. Klimt's depictions of middle-class women—enhanced by opulent attire and intricate accessories—epitomize this process of "othering".

In my view, Klimt's portrayal of women reflects two distinct fantasies shaped by his male perspective. He depicted upper-class women in formal portraits as affluent figures occupying an ambiguous space between past and present, confined to unidentified interiors where their postures, features, and personalities are emphasized (Natter et al., 2016). Conversely,"New women" of the era actively challenged patriarchal structures, fighting for public participation and sexual liberation. These "new women" sought radical changes in social status and appearance, donning short hair, traditionally male clothing like shorts or knee-high socks, cycling, and smoking publicly. Klimt's works reflect this tension, showing how societal pressures sculpted women's roles in Vienna. However, this does not absolve Klimt of his own contradictions. For instance, while he rendered upper-class women as statuesque, fully clothed, and adorned with lavish garments symbolizing their social standing, he also depicted lower-class prostitutes engaging in intimate acts within his studio, capturing moments of intimacy with a voyeuristic lens.

In works such as Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Klimt portrays women as poised and elegant symbols of middle-class propriety, reinforcing their roles as emblems of family and societal status. However, this portrayal simultaneously conceals their agency, reducing them to aesthetic symbols. The subtle expressions and postures of these women hint at their inner solitude and struggles, embodying the conflict between idealized womanhood and familial obligations.

Similarly, in The Maiden, Klimt celebrates youth and desire through the nude female form but fails to transcend the limitations of the male gaze. Prostitute figures in Klimt's art often carry a tragic aura, depicted as societal outcasts emblematic of oppression and discrimination. Yet, Klimt imbues these figures with allure, sensuality, and reverence for the female body, revealing the entanglement of sexuality and power. Their expressions and gestures suggest inner contradictions: these women, despite their marginal social status, exert a degree of agency over their bodies and desires, challenging conventional male authority.

Klimt's works encapsulate the contradictions inherent in female roles within Viennese society. On one hand, women are objects of desire; on the other, they bear the responsibilities of family and societal order. Through interwoven female bodies and dynamic compositions, Klimt explores themes of desire but fails to capture the complexity of women's subjectivities. The Vienna Secession's portrayal of women reflects both an artistic response to modernization and a reinforcement of the ambiguity and stereotypes surrounding female identity.

This contradiction serves as a critical entry point for my creative inquiry. By reinterpreting and appropriating Klimt's depictions of women, I aim to challenge the reductive portrayal of gender anxiety in classical art and offer alternative interpretations from a contemporary female perspective.