Vienna art: Mother with Two Children

 

While the Kiss is the most memorable painting in the Belvedere Museum, the "Mother with Two Children" by Gustav Klimt stood out to me the most. What I like about this painting is the vulnerability and unknown presence it give. Most of the painting has a dark color except the mother and children faces. I think Klimt did that attract viewer to the figures sleeping presence. The figure, especially the mother, are in pure exhaustion and are in a vulnerable state. You can tell that they are poor and are sleeping on the streets. They are fully exposed to the world with only a blanket to comfort them. It shows the reality of how many people lived in poverty back then and having kids in the painting makes this piece depressing. Children shouldn't be sleeping on the street especially when its it cold and that makes this piece depressing since the kids are doing that.

Why is the painting "Mother with two children" important to Vienna? This painting is way different from Klimt other painting. There isn't much context on the meaning to the painting. Also this painting is the only painting about poverty that Klimt painted. There is this idea floating around that this painting is about Klimt life when he lived in poverty. It is a vulnerable and personal piece and shows the reality of poverty. It can shows the side of Vienna that many people would usually skip over. It shows that Vienna history isn't all about the royals and most of the people dealt with poverty. It's a great example of the unglamorous side of the past.

I think the mother with two child paints contribute to Vienna Status as a cultural capital by being a reminder of how most people of Vienna lived. It shows that the perspective of property and how not every one had enough money to live. People can relate to this painting and be moved from it. This also shows how important art is to Vienna and that art should bring emotion to people. This painting can make impression on people and that should be the purpose of art. It makes Vienna a cultural capital by giving attention to artist and bringing people to form their own opinion on things so they can help make Vienna a better place. It shows that the people should be important Vienna and that people make it the cultural capital.