Genius with a Trumpet

Ernst Klimt, Vienna, 1885, glue tempera
The Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, Rijeka
(above the highest lodge next to the stage on the right)

Smaller-format paintings – Genius with a Trumpet and Genius with a Basket of Flowers – are the only unsigned ones. Until this exhibition, it was thought they might be works of Gustav Klimt. The older brother was certainly supporting Ernst not only in life but also and in professional work. Taking into consideration his drawing of a boy, which has only recently been linked to the project commissioned in Rijeka, it can be concluded with certainty that Ernst had used at least one of his brother’s sketches, and most probably even more, while working on the painting named Genius with a Trumpet. Namely, the figure of the boy in the corner with his left hand raised is very similar to the above mentioned young man from Gustav’s study, which in time travelled very far from Vienna, i.e. to New York, where it is currently kept.