Garden Path With Chickens is an Austrian Symbolist painting by Gustav Klimt, a prominent member of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement. It was created in 1916 while the artist lived near the village of Unterach on the southern shore of Lake Attersee in Austria. This artwork showcases Klimt’s linear form and impressionistic techniques with intertwining modern concepts.
The painting features bright colors and a depiction of a path that curves through lush foliage, leading up to two chickens pecking at the ground. Although not as well-known as his more famous works such as “The Kiss,” this artwork is still considered significant for its expressionistic details. Unfortunately, the painting was destroyed in 1945 during WWII when it fell victim to a fire caused by German Armed Forces.
Klimt is best known for his portrayal of frank eroticism through female images; nevertheless, “Garden Path With Chickens” reveals another side of him that loved nature and country life. This artwork’s sensual lines stand out despite contextualizing an individual component rather than being integrated into multiple figures like other pieces he worked on during his career.
