An Analysis of Two Works with the Same Theme by Gustav Klimt and Eugène Schiele with Emphasis on the Symbolic Meanings of Colors

Human's life is full of symbols. In the field of art, colours have long had a symbolic meaning. In the late nineteenth century, the symbolism movement began with the declaration of symbolism in France, and the painting of ideas was defined by Albert Orber in connection with the visual arts. Gustav Klimt was a symbolist painter and, like an emotional poet, tried to embody general and abstract concepts such as life, death, music, lust and jealousy with symbolic lines and colours. Eugene Schiele was one of his students in the expressionist style of painting and was influenced by his master's symbolic style. The authors answer the research question with descriptive-analytical research method and library information collection method. This study is a comparative study of Gustave Klimt's painting "The Kiss" and Eugene Schiele's painting "Cardinal and the Nun (Meditation)". The research question is to compare and evaluate the effect of these two paintings from the perspective of the symbolic meaning of colours on the emotional perception of the audience? The result of this research shows that although the two works of art have a common theme, the artists have paid attention to their purpose and feelings in choosing the colours. Depending on the choice of colours, one effect induces a sense of anxiety and fear and the other effect induces a sense of interest and love to the audience.Artistic styles and techniques have been created according to the culture, social conditions and geography of each place. Symbolism was a reaction to the school of Impressionism as well as the principles of realism. Expressionism was also a reaction to symbolism. The symbolists conveyed all their intentions through the symbols. Expressionists expressed their emotions, especially fear, anxiety, and love, through colour; They exaggerated in the use of colour and drawing. Colour has a special place in the lives of humans and artists. By seeing the colours used in the art of any culture and society, one can understand the feelings of the people of that culture. Colours can define a person's mood and also create a special halo or energy in the atmosphere.Colour has existed in human life since time immemorial. Until the nineteenth century, only a few dyes and pigments were known, most of which were organic in origin and very expensive, but today humans use synthetic materials to produce multiple and cheaper dyes. Colours are present in all human life and are very important and are a part of our lives. Spectacular and visible colours have different effects on nature and the human mind. Every colour has a use and meaning in every place. The perception and interpretation of each colour is different in each culture. Colour symbolism is universal; It is one of the most important symbolic systems of man. Colours evoke what it symbolizes.The statistical population of this research is the painting "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt and the painting "Cardinal and the Nun (Meditation)" by Eugene Schiele. In this study, the authors conducted a comparative study of the colours of the painting "The Kiss" by Gustave Klimt and the painting "Cardinal and the Nun (Meditation)" by Eugene Schiele, which is the purpose of this study. Also, what effect do these two paintings have on the emotional perception of the audience in terms of the symbolic meaning of colours?The present study is based on collecting library information method with a fundamental purpose and descriptive-analytical method to answer the question and purpose of this research. The simultaneous and historical comparative method as well as the study of the statistical population of this research to determine the common, conceptual and symbolic differences between these two paintings. The type of this research is qualitative. The statistical population of this research is two paintings by two artists with the style of symbolism and expressionism; These include the painting "The Kiss" by Gustave Klimt and the painting "Cardinal and the Nun (Meditation)" by Eugene Schiele.The sampling of this research is purposeful and by selecting two paintings by two artists with the style of symbolism and expressionism that have the same theme, but each artist has chosen colours and each colour has a symbolic meaning and these colours have affected the emotional perception of the audience. This research first uses a descriptive method to define modern Western art, symbolism, expressionism, symbolic concepts of colours, and the biography of Klimt and Schiele, and then analyzes the symbolic meanings of the colours used in the two paintings.Kiss is the most famous work of Klimt from his golden age (1898-1908), which has used gilding in most of his masterpieces. Klimt began The Kiss in 1907. Klimt called this painting lovers, but today it is better known as The Kiss. This time in The Kiss, like many of his previous works, he does not portray society as a scandal. From the very beginning, this painting was noticed and admired, and this can be seen in its rapid sale. This painting has become a symbol of New Vienna art. The two figures in the kiss painting are wearing strange clothes that have been carefully decorated. Klimt has used more gold, brown, emerald green and yellow. The artist uses the golden colour in the background to create depth in the work. The painting has no straight lines and is full of curves and curved lines. The male face is not seen in Klimt's kiss painting. He holds the woman up; He presses his hands to the woman's face with a delicate gesture, but his face is away from her arms: he just offers his cheek for a kiss and his hand almost tries to hold her away.In Eugene Schiele's "Nun and Cardinal (Meditation)" painting, the eyes are full of excruciating anxiety. Anxiety about Christian temptation and sin. It is as if the nun is staring into the eyes of someone who sees her committing such a corruption; However, the Cardinal also has a glimpse of this dazzling. The hands, which are often the strangest forms in Schiele paintings, are in a state that can be seen in Christian paintings and statues, but ultimately both their figures and their proximity can be attributed to the figures of Klimt; the same painting that Schiele has been most influenced by. For Schiele, the connection is the wear and tear of the figures, except that the sexual act is highlighted here, even though in the red shadow of the cardinal sin. Schiele called this strange feeling of shame "embrace". The composition is triangular - a shape that always refers to the strength of power structures and their strong attachment to the ground. The issue of sexual and moral corruption in the church is not unusual in itself.Artists have influenced each other over time, depending on the circumstances. These effects can be in the use of colour, subject matter, art style, symbols, and so on. Students have been impressed by their teachers. The greatest influence in Schiele's painting "Cardinal and the Nun (Meditation)" is from Klimt's painting "Kiss", which was drawn by Klimt five years ago.In this research, the symbolic meanings of the colours used in the painting "The Kiss" by Klimt and the painting "Cardinal and the Nun" by Schiele have been studied. Also, what effects do these two paintings have on the emotional perception of the audience in terms of the symbolic meaning of colours? Although they have the same theme, each of these paintings gives a different feeling to the audience. One expresses love and affection and the other is fear and anxiety, which is due to the choice of colour by the artist, and the difference in the choice of colours is related to the artistic style, mind and feelings of the two artists. Klimt has used positive and light colours in this painting, but Schiele has used dark and negative colours, each of which has a symbol and meaning.Artists have been able to use these colours to communicate their intentions to the audience. Klimt has used the colours of gold, brown and yellow more, which symbolizes and expresses glory, love, care, safety and success. Yellow is a symbol of activity and ambition. Emerald green is the colour of spring and a symbol of youth and vitality. Brown is a symbol of trust, comfort, intimacy and stability. He also used red colour in the decoration of women's clothes, which is a symbol of fertility and love.Schiele in this painting of dark colours, used black, more than brown. Green and red are also seen. Black is a symbol of secrecy. Brown indicates earth and materialism. Red is the colour of passion, passion and passionate behavior. It is also a warning to not continue and not to move forward, a passionate and daring behavior. Schiele has used red in men's clothing, which is a symbol of masculine power. The sludge green colour indicates deterioration, obsolescence and erosion.