Interesting painting, eh? Gustav Klimt painted in the early part of the 20th century, during a period called "Art Nouveau," and many of his works ended up being seized by the Nazis. This painting was in Austria's possession, but now the courts have ruled that it truly does belong to the Altmann family. Maria Altmann is a descendant of the former owner, who was a Jewish man who fled Austria when the Nazis took over. The woman in the painting is Adele Bloch-Bauer, wife of the original owner.
Klimt was very influenced by textiles and their patterns and textures. He could obviously paint in a traditional, realistic style, but chose to stylize his paintings with textile designs and non-traditional substances. Art Nouveau design was characterized by vines and twisting flowers and patterns, and a mix of traditional and non-traditional. In the US, Tiffany's glassware and lamps are very good examples of the Art Nouveau style.
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