Vienna prepares for Klimt Year

The Austrian capital is preparing to pull out all the stops to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of artist Gustav Klimt.

A series of exhibitions is in the pipeline, taking in some of Vienna's most prestigious museums.

The painter, who was a comet of early modernism both in Austria and in the world at large, was born near Vienna on 6 February 1862.

He won a scholarship to the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, and in 1888 received the Golden Order of Merit from Emperor Franz Joseph I.

However, he soon set out on a decidedly radical path, being one of the founding members of the Viennese Secession group, which broke away from the conservative Association of Austrian Artists in 1897.

Klimt's pre-Secession years will be the focus of a major show at the Kunsthistorisches Museum from 14 February to 11 June.

Likewise, Gustav Klimt: A Journey Though Time is set to take place as the Leopold Museum, featuring pictures, travel diaries and letters from the estate of Emilie Floge (24 February 11 June).

Meanwhile, the Belvedere Gallery, which owns The Kiss as well as several other paintings by the artist, is hosting two shows, Gustav Klimt/Josef Hoffmann: Pioneers of Modernism, which runs until 4 March, complemented by a second exhibition called Masterpieces in Focus: 150 Years of Gustav Klimt.