Golden Portraits inspired by Gustav Klimt- 6th Grade

The artist Gustav Klimt is best known for his part in creating an art style called Art Nouveau in the late 1800's. Art Nouveau is characterized by curving shapes and flat, decorative patterns. In Klimt's paintings of people, like the one to the right, usually the face and hands are the only part that seem realistic. The rest of the paintings are composed of simplified figures, clothing filled with bright repeat patterns (often gold-colored in Klimt's earlier paintings), and elaborate, mosaic-like backgrounds.

Inspired by Klimt, sixth graders created their own "golden portraits" in art class. Students found a figure in a magazine and cut out only the uncovered head, hands and legs before gluing them to gold or silver scratch paper. Then, using a wooden stylus, they scratched out their figures' clothing, filling them with busy, swirling, decorative, repeat patterns. The background patterns are a different size to help make the figure stand out. Finally, students used gold paints to create even more pattern on their frame...