Gustav Klimt, Nine cartoons, execution of a frieze for the dining room of Stoclet House, Brussels, 1922

Gustav Klimt, Nine cartoons, execution of a frieze for the dining room of Stoclet House, Brussels, 1922The "Nine Cartoons" is a series of preparatory drawings that Gustav Klimt created for the execution of a frieze in the dining room of the Stoclet House in Brussels. The Stoclet House was a luxurious private mansion designed by the architect Josef Hoffmann for the wealthy Belgian industrialist Adolphe Stoclet. Klimt was commissioned to create a frieze for the dining room that would complement the room's Art Nouveau decor. The resulting frieze, which

The woman's anguished expression is thought to be a reflection of the horror and devastation wrought by the bombing

Despite the fragmented and distorted depiction of the figure

Corsica was a possession of the Republic of Genoa

The composition of the painting features a series of overlapping shapes and forms in various shades of brown

The painting features several geometric shapes such as circles

with eyes and mouth represented by simple geometric shapes

"Beach on Tunis" is significant for its role in the development of abstraction

circular shape

The painting depicts a simple arrangement of quince fruits

and a curved line that suggests a tail

creating a sense of optimism and hope

measuring over six feet tall and almost eight feet wide