Gustav Klimt - Pigment & Pixel Discovering Art Through Technology at t

What lies beneath the luminous surface of Gustav Klimt’s iconic paintings? Was he a spontaneous creator or a meticulous planner? Did he stick to his early drafts or rework his compositions throughout the process? And how did he apply gold and other precious metals to canvas?

The Belvedere’s new exhibition Pigment & Pixel explores these questions using cutting-edge imaging and restoration technologies. For the first time, visitors can delve into the hidden layers of Klimt’s masterpieces and gain insight into his working methods, revealing unseen underdrawings, alterations and techniques behind his shimmering gold effects.

A highlight of the show is the digital reconstruction of Klimt’s legendary Faculty Paintings, destroyed in a fire in 1945. In a collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, artificial intelligence has helped recreate their lost color and scale, allowing visitors to experience these provocative, once-censored works as they were originally conceived for the ceiling of the University of Vienna’s ceremonial hall.

The exhibition also includes rare insights into Klimt’s use of gold, silver and even platinum, as well as his richly detailed floral landscapes painted during his summers at Lake Attersee, where nature became his greatest muse.

Combining art, science and storytelling, Pigment & Pixel reintroduces Klimt as both an innovator and perfectionist, whose legacy continues to inspire across mediums and centuries.