Klimt (2007) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Klimt was being treated for syphilis with mercury in a hospital. The mercury treatment was a standard but toxic therapy for the disease during that era. The film frames his recollections as he endures this treatment, with his memories becoming increasingly vivid and dreamlike as his condition deteriorates.

• syphilis
• mercury treatment
• hospital
• illness
• death

Klimt proposed marriage to Emilie Floege on the condition that it be an open marriage, reflecting his unconventional beliefs about love and freedom. He believed in maintaining his artistic freedom and bohemian lifestyle, which included relationships with multiple women. This stance contrasted sharply with conventional expectations of the time and illustrated his priority of personal freedom over traditional domesticity.

• emilie floege
• open marriage
• love
• proposal
• relationship

The three-panel commission refers to a major governmental artwork order that Klimt received through a Ministry of Culture official. Klimt completed three large canvases which were displayed at a grand government reception. While the reception was mixed in its assessment, the commission elevated his work into the realm of state art and solidified his recognition as a major artist of stature among both officials and the public.

Foreshadowing: The recurring government official who secured commissions for Klimt appears throughout his mid-career, setting up this pivotal moment.

• three panel commission
• ministry of culture
• government
• art
• recognition

During a night at a local brothel with a male acquaintance, Klimt was introduced to a prostitute who was claimed to be his daughter, tied to rumors about his past relationships with models. When asked directly if this was true, Klimt calmly replied that he did not know, continuing the evening without clarification. The scene highlights how his numerous relationships had become part of his public legend.

• brothel
• daughter
• prostitute
• rumors
• illegitimate children

Klimt's mother and sister were both under care in an asylum for the mentally ill. In one of his recollections, they confronted him about rumors of his illegitimate children. This family scene reveals the personal toll of his chaotic personal life and suggests possible hereditary mental health issues in his family, adding to the film's exploration of his complex legacy.

• mother
• sister
• asylum
• mental illness
• family

Egon Schiele, the younger Austrian expressionist painter, visited Klimt at various points throughout his life. These visits are portrayed in the film as occurring during Klimt's reflections while undergoing treatment. Schiele appears as both a contemporary commentator and participant in Klimt's recollections, highlighting the mentorship and artistic dialogue within the Viennese modernist milieu.

Foreshadowing: Schiele's visits occur throughout the timeline, representing the continuity of Vienna's artistic community.

• egon schiele
• visits
• artist relationship
• mentor
• vienna

Lea de Castro was a Parisian actress who became one of Klimt's two principal romantic relationships. Like Emilie Floege, Lea embodied the type of beauty that inspired his art. Their romance expanded his artistic horizons beyond Vienna, and she became a muse who shaped his depiction of female beauty in his paintings.

• lea de castro
• paris
• actress
• love
• muse

The film suggests that several of Klimt's intimate relationships with his nude models bore him children. However, Klimt himself admits in the film that he does not know how many children he fathered or where many of them are. This uncertainty becomes a recurring theme as he reflects on his legacy and personal life.

• children
• models
• relationships
• illegitimate
• families

Klimt died during the course of his mercury treatment in the hospital. His final recollections remained saturated with the splendor of his art rather than focusing on moral judgments about his personal life. The film closes with an affirmation that art endures beyond personal scandal, presenting his death as a meditation on artistic vocation.

Foreshadowing: The film has been building toward this ending since the opening scenes of mercury treatment.

• death
• final moments
• art
• legacy
• mercury treatment

Klimt's lifelong fascination with the beauty of the female form drove both his art and his personal life. His studio was a constant theater of nude models who posed for his drawings and oil paintings. This fascination led to his distinctive style of capturing female beauty and sensuality, which became central to his controversial and groundbreaking art.

• nude models
• studio
• female form
• art
• creative process