Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter of the nineteenth century. His subjects are primarily female nudes, and he is known for his golden style and his painting The Kiss. He painted many women of different social statuses and backgrounds in his lifetime, and his relationships are very complex.

This may be an indication of his passion for women, their form and sexuality, which was the main focus of many of his works. The majority of his paintings were characterized by golden or colored swirling designs, spirals, and phallic shapes, depicting dominant women in erotic positions.