Josef Lewinsky

Josef Lewinsky as Carlos in Clavigo is a small portrait by the Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt, dated to 1895 and held in the Belvedere museum in Vienna ^[3][4][6]. The work depicts the actor Josef Lewinsky in the role of Carlos from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play Clavigo, a theatrical subject that places it early in Klimt's career, before his later "golden phase" and the controversy surrounding his University of Vienna ceiling paintings ^[1][3][4].

Provenance: the Belvedere collection

The painting is part of the collection of the Belvedere (Österreichische Galerie Belvedere) in Vienna, Austria ^[3][4][6]. The museum's digital catalogue records the work under the title Josef Lewinsky als Carlos in Clavigo, and the Europeana portal likewise lists the Austrian Gallery Belvedere as the provider ^[4][6]. The work's inception date is recorded as 1895 ^[3][6].

Subject: Lewinsky as Carlos in Goethe's Clavigo

The portrait shows the Viennese actor Josef Lewinsky costumed as Carlos, a character in Goethe's 1774 tragedy Clavigo ^[3][4]. The theatrical framing distinguishes this work from Klimt's better-known society portraits of women, such as Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I ^[1]. Klimt's primary subject was the female body, and his figurative works include allegories, portraits, and landscapes; a male actor in a stage role is therefore an atypical subject within his oeuvre ^[1].

Technique and materials: an early Klimt portrait

At 60 × 44 cm, the painting is a modestly scaled work ^[3]. It dates from 1895, a period when Klimt was still a successful painter of architectural decorations in a conventional manner, before he developed the more personal style that would later provoke scandal ^[1]. The work therefore predates the artist's "golden phase," in which he made extensive use of gold leaf ^[1]. The portrait does not employ the decorative, gilded surfaces associated with that later period, reflecting instead the earlier, more restrained approach of Klimt's pre-Secession years ^[1].

Context: Klimt and the Vienna Secession

Klimt was a founding member of the Vienna Secession movement, which helped define the Art Nouveau style in Europe ^[1]. His work was an important influence on his younger peer Egon Schiele ^[1]. Among the Secession artists, Klimt was the most influenced by Japanese art and its methods ^[1]. This portrait of Lewinsky, created two years before the Secession's founding in 1897, belongs to the period just before Klimt emerged as a leader of that avant-garde movement ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

When was Josef Lewinsky as Carlos in Clavigo painted?

The painting is dated to 1895, according to the Belvedere's catalogue record and the Wikidata entry for the work ^[3][6].

Where is the painting located?

The work is held in the collection of the Belvedere museum in Vienna, Austria ^[3][4][6].

Who was Josef Lewinsky in the painting?

Josef Lewinsky was an actor depicted by Klimt in the role of Carlos from Goethe's play Clavigo ^[3][4]. The painting's full title, Josef Lewinsky als Carlos in Clavigo, identifies both the sitter and the theatrical character he portrays ^[4].