Tree of Life, Gustav Klimt
Part of the Nine Cartoons for the Execution of a Frieze for the Dining Room of Stoclet House in Brussels
The central motif of the entire frieze is the sprawling Tree of Life, which spreads from the center across the whole long side of the dining room of the Stoclet House. Inspired by the Byzantine canon of form, the radical stylization of the tree with its far-reaching volute-like branches is filled with symbolism. The golden volutes bear Horus Falcons and Eyes of Horus as well as strongly stylized flowers and leaves and were most likely inspired by the Stoclets’ ancient Egyptian, antique, Byzantine collection. The entire composition was mirrored in the mosaic on the opposite wall and here the motif Expectation was integrated on the western and the motif Fulfillment on the eastern side. On these work drawings, Klimt added additional handwritten explanations for the production of the frieze.
