VIENNA (AP) — Art enthusiasts are getting an unprecedented opportunity to view Gustav Klimt’s early masterpieces up close through special guided tours that take visitors high above Vienna’s historic Burgtheater on scaffolding platforms.
For over 100 years, only restoration specialists and art historians had access to these 10 oil paintings that decorate the theater’s soaring 60-foot-high ceilings. The artworks are currently undergoing careful restoration due to water damage.
“The special thing about Klimt for me at least is that we only know about his later works,” said Hannes Höllinger, 60, who participated in one of the recent tours. He described the experience as “very interesting to see that already at age 24 he made these very beautiful paintings which I myself had not seen before.”
The renowned Austrian artist, celebrated for his striking art nouveau style, became a pivotal figure in early 20th-century artistic modernism. Klimt’s paintings now command some of the art world’s highest auction prices, with his iconic 1907-1908 work “The Kiss” — featuring an embracing couple surrounded by intricate patterns and gold leaf — housed at Vienna’s Belvedere Museum.
“We were allowed to invest several hundred thousand euros to let Gustav Klimt shine in his original splendor again,” Burgtheater commercial director Robert Beutler told The Associated Press. “Everything gets cleaned by hand with very fine cotton swabs and condensed water.”
The restoration work is painstakingly detailed, with the largest Klimt piece covering approximately 375 square feet. “So you can imagine how long that takes when you remove dust and grime piece by piece and layer by layer,” Beutler explained.
These ceiling works represent Klimt’s inaugural major commission, completed between 1886 and 1888 alongside his brother Ernst and fellow Austrian artist Franz Matsch when Gustav was just 24 years old.
Thomas Mahr, the conservator overseeing the restoration of decorative elements surrounding Klimt’s early paintings, explained that the young artists’ original proposal was “‘we are young, we are fast, and provide great work at low cost’ — and that’s how they got into business.”
The ceiling paintings showcase various moments from theatrical history, with one of the most significant pieces portraying Queen Elizabeth I observing a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” at London’s Globe Theatre during the 16th century. Notably, Klimt and his two collaborators appear as observers behind the monarch in what stands as Klimt’s sole known self-portrait.
Hundreds of art admirers ascend the scaffolding daily during these exclusive tours to examine Klimt’s creations at close range. Susanne Höllinger, who joined the tour alongside her husband Hannes, noted that these early works already hint at the distinctive style that would define Klimt’s later celebrated pieces.
She particularly appreciated discovering intricate details invisible from the theater floor, including meticulously painted small figures and even a cigarette held by Klimt’s chain-smoking brother Ernst.
“To be so close to these freshly renovated paintings — just a unique experience,” Höllinger exclaimed.
These exclusive scaffolding tours of Klimt’s ceiling artwork will remain available through August, when the restoration equipment will be dismantled. Visitors can purchase general admission tickets through the theater’s website for 25 euros, approximately $29.
