The Stoclet Frieze

The frieze is located in the great dining hall of the Stoclet Palace in Brussels. After Klimt’s departure from The Vienna Secession group due to ideological differences, the Stoclet Palace became an important space for artistic expression for Klimt and other like-minded thinkers. While Klimt defended the Secession style, the new president, Englehart, advocated for the adoption of Impressionism.

The frieze was created between 1905 and 1909 by a creative collective of artisans from the Wiener Werkstätte, which followed Klimt’s sketches. The project’s architect was Josef Hoffmann, and the creative process was overseen by Leopold Forstner. The work employs a mixed technique that combines engraved white marble pieces placed side by side.

Klimt met the owners of the palace in 1906, during a trip in which he also had the opportunity to explore the space designated for the frieze. It was then that he discovered the impressive art collection of the Stoclet couple, which included Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and Byzantine jewelry, all of which positively influenced the creation of the work.

The mosaic is divided into three panels: the first two are horizontal and take up the larger sides of the dining hall, while the third is a vertical format and located at the centre. In total, the frieze consists of 15 scenes. The mosaics feature polychrome and gold enamels, ceramics, glass, precious stones, copper, and coral, and were designed to create a sense of continuity by eliminating the separation between the figures and the background.

Tree of life

The centrepiece of the Frieze is the Tree of Life, which symbolises the cycle of existence. Its long and ornamental, spiralling branches, occupy almost the entire surface. Various flowers emerge from them, some shaped like the Egyptian eye (a symbol of the God Ra), as well as triangles and other flowers. A black falcon can also be seen on some branches, which depicts Horus, the Egyptian deity associated with death, subtly suggesting the fleeting nature of life.

The expectation

To the left of the Tree of Life, we find The expectation (originally known as The Dancer). It depicts a woman with seemingly Egyptian features, waiting alone in a static, somewhat rigid posture and hieroglyphic style. She is accentuated by angular and triangular shapes that adorn her dress, details that echo the background of the mosaic. Although the dancer is part of the frieze, she is shown as an additional decorative element— a new, modern, and stylized figure that blends seamlessly and elegantly into the composition.

The embrace

To the right is The Embrace, a scene that represents the union of a couple in love in a warm and intense embrace. The clothing of both lovers is adorned with circles and phytomorphic decorations, in contrast with the geometric and angular decorations of The Dancer.

The lovers are so absorbed in their passion, that they convey a sense of transience. The man, with his back to the viewer, tilts his head entirely toward that of his loved one, who, with her eyes closed, completely surrenders to the closeness they share.

The Knight

The last figure in the frieze is The Knight, an abstract figure with a white helmet and a colourful cloak adorned with rectangles and a geometric shape that Klimt uses to symbolize masculinity. The knight is conceived as the guardian of the frieze, and thanks to his presence, the lovers can feel safe and protected from any outside threat.

Possible interpretation

Several studies suggest that Plutarch’s Moralia may have inspired the creation of this frieze, particularly the legend of Isis and Osiris.

Isis, Osiris, Seth, and Nephthys were siblings, children of the sky goddess Nut. Isis and Osiris fell in love, as did Seth and Nephthys. However, Seth, who hated his brother Osiris for holding the throne, killed him. Overcome by her loss, Isis searched for her husband, finding him embedded in a tree. When Seth found out, he cut Osiris’s body into 14 parts. Finally, Isis, with the help of her sister Nephthys, managed to gather all the parts together and revive her beloved.

The Tree of Life can be interpreted as the tree where Isis found Osiris. It features protective eyes and flowers, symbolizing Osiris’s rebirth, as well as falcons representing his unborn son, Horus.

In The Embrace, the couple’s reunion after their journey of reconnection is depicted. In fact, the woman, with a protective gesture of her arm, appears to shield the soul of her beloved.