FIN-DE-SIÈCLEHistorians have adopted the term fin-de-siècle,
which means “end of the century,” to describe the culture of the late
1800s. This designation is not merely chronological but also refers to
a certain sensibility. The increasingly large and prosperous middle
classes aspired to the advantages the aristocracy traditionally enjoyed.
They too strove to live “the good life,” which evolved into a culture of
decadence and indulgence. Characteristic of the fin-de-siècle period
was an intense preoccupation with sexual drives, powers, and perver-
sions. People at the end of the century also immersed themselves in an
exploration of the unconscious. This culture was unrestrained and
freewheeling, but the determination to enjoy life masked an anxiety
prompted by significant political upheaval and an uncertain future. The
country most closely associated with fin-de-siècle culture was Austria.
GUSTAV KLIMTThe Viennese artist Gustav Klimt(1863–1918)
captured this period’s flamboyance in his work but tempered it with
unsettling undertones. In The Kiss (FIG. 31-28), Klimt depicted a
couple locked in an embrace. All that is visible of the couple, however,
is a small segment of each person’s body. The rest of the painting dis-
solves into shimmering, extravagant flat patterning. This patterning
has clear ties to Art Nouveau and to the Arts and Crafts movement
(see page 846) and also evokes the conflict between two- and three-
dimensionality intrinsic to the work of Degas and other modernists.
Paintings such as The Kiss were visual manifestations of fin-de-siècle
spirit because they captured a decadence conveyed by opulent and
sensuous images.
GERTRUDE KÄSEBIER Photography, which during the 19th
century most people regarded as the ultimate form of Realism, could
also be manipulated by artists to produce effects more akin to paint-
ing than to factual records of contemporary life. After the first great
breakthroughs, which bluntly showed what was before the eye, some
photographers began to pursue new ways of using the medium as a
vehicle of artistic expression. One of the leading practitioners of
what might be called the pictorial style in photography was the
American Gertrude Käsebier(1852–1934). Käsebier took up pho-
tography in 1897 after raising a family and working as a portrait
painter. She soon became famous for photographs with symbolic
themes, such as Blessed Art Thou among Women (FIG. 31-29). The
title repeats the phrase the angel Gabriel used in the New Testament
to announce to the Virgin Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus.
In the context of Käsebier’s photography, the words suggest a paral-
lel between the biblical “Mother of God” and the modern mother in
the image, who both protects and sends forth her daughter. The
white setting and the mother’s pale gown shimmer in soft focus be-
hind the serious girl, who is dressed in darker tones and captured842 Chapter 31 EUROPE AND AMERICA, 1870 TO 190031-28Gustav Klimt,
The Kiss,1907–1908. Oil on
canvas, 5 103 – 4 5 103 – 4 .
Österreichische Galerie
Belvedere, Vienna.
In this opulent Viennese fin-
de-siècle painting, Gustav
Klimt revealed only a small
segment of each lover’s body.
The rest of his painting dis-
solves into shimmering,
extravagant flat patterning.
1 ft.