Secessionsgebäude (Secession Building)

Vienna Secession is an exhibition space for contemporary art. It was built as an architectural manifesto for Viennese Art Nouveau. The building’s permanent installation, the Beethoven Frieze painted by Gustav Klimt, is of particular interest.

The Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists led by Gustav Klimt who had resented the prevailing conservatism of the Association of Austrian Artists. One of their main desires was the erection of a dedicated exhibition building for the Secession. The exhibition hall was built in 1898 by Joseph Maria Olbrich. Part of the funding for the construction was provided by patrons including the industrial magnate Karl Wittgenstein (the father of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein); the rest was paid for with the proceeds of the Secession’s inaugural exhibition, which was held at the Imperial and Royal Gardening Society. The finished building was highly criticised, crowds gathered to ridicule it. It was mocked as a “temple for bullfrogs”, “a bastard between temple and warehouse”, and a “bastard between temple and warehouse”; while the dome was teased as a “cabbage head”.

Olbrich’s innovative use of symbolism are an integral part of the building, The building is crowned with an intricately made dome in the form of 3000 gilt laurel leaves and 700 berries. Laurel leafs symbolise creativity and victory. The motto of the Secessionist movement is written above the entrance of the pavilion: ‘Der Zeit ihre Kunst, Der Kunst ihre Freiheit’ (To the age its art, to art its freedom). Below this are the masks of the three Gorgons representing painting, sculpture and architecture. In the Greek mythology gorgons are three sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and the mortal Medusa, who had snakes for hair and eyes that had the power to turn anyone who looked at them into stone. The side elevations feature owls designed by Kolo Moser. The Gorgons and the owls are attributes of Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom, victory, and the crafts.

Gustav Klimt painted the Beethoven Frieze for the 14th Secession exhibition which was held between 15th April and 27th June in 1902. The exhibition was dedicated to the composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. The frieze was painted directly on the walls. In 1903 the frieze was cut into eight pieces to be removed from the wall and put in storage for twelve years. Finally, a room was created in the basement of the Secession building for the frieze in 1985. The theme of the frieze is based on Richard Wagner’s interpretation of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. “The frieze illustrates human desire for happiness in a suffering and tempestuous world in which one contends not only with external evil forces but also with internal weaknesses. The viewer follows this journey of discovery in a stunning visual and linear fashion. It begins gently with the floating female Genii searching the Earth but soon follows the dark, sinister-looking storm-wind giant, Typhoeus, his three Gorgon daughters and images representing sickness, madness, death, lust and wantonness above and to the right. Thence appears the knight in shining armour who offers hope due to his own ambition and sympathy for the pleading, suffering humans. The journey ends in the discovery of joy by means of the arts and contentment is represented in the close embrace of a kiss. Thus, the frieze expounds psychological human yearning, ultimately satisfied through individual and communal searching and the beauty of the arts coupled with love and companionship.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven_Frieze) Today the Beethoven Frieze is considered one of Klimt’s key works and a seminal work of Viennese Secession.