Paintings for the University of Vienna

These three paintings, Philosophy, Medicine and Law, were commissioned in 1893 to adorn the great hall of the University of Vienna. They caused a great deal of controversy in 1898, when Klimt unveiled his sketches, that challenged the social values of the time with an unconventional style. The artist faced harsh public criticism, marking a turning point in his stylistic evolution.

During World War II, the artworks were moved to Immendorf Castle to protect them from potential looting. However, they were destroyed by German troops during their retreat in 1945. Today, only a black-and-white photographic reproduction of the central piece, Medicine, remains.

Philosophy (1900)

The canvas shows a cosmic vortex, a visual hymn of the search for timeless truth, void of any traces of rationality and lacking a profound dreamlike quality. At the centre of the composition, a vertical column of human figures emerges from the darkness, evoking the continuous flow of existence and the mystery of the universe. Above, a luminous female figure, symbolizing knowledge, appears lost in wonder, while nomadic souls represent humanity’s struggle to understand the meaning of life. At the lower section of the piece, a face symbolizes knowledge. The almost abstract composition blurs the boundaries between body and cosmos, emphasizing the connection between the micro and macro cosmos.

Legend: “Infinity is reflected in the human: a journey from flesh to knowledge, suspended between the light and the shadow.”

Medicine (1901)

In this work, Klimt depicts the human body as a fragile vessel of suffering and life. A tangle of naked, suffering figures is portrayed in a dreamlike world that shows life from birth to death. Hygeia, the goddess of health, is the protagonist accompanied by a snake that wraps around her. She carries the Cup of Lethe, from which she spills primordial liquid, triggering forgetfulness. Despite this allegory of health, there is an unsettling feeling caused by the presence of Death, represented by ghostly figures. The work is presented as a manifesto of spirituality in the face of the fleeting nature of human life and its fragility.

Legend: “The mysteries of healing and human fragility are intertwined with life and death.”

Law (1904)

This painting appears to be set in Tartarus (Hell). In the centre, a naked and tormented man is besieged by monstrous creatures with tentacles (Furies), representing injustice and guilt. Above him, the personifications of Justice, Truth, and Law appear far away; Justice holds the scales, but her expression lacks empathy. In this piece, Klimt questions the moral ambiguity and cruelty of the law when stripped of humanity and compassion, arguing that justice had become a tool to repress the individual, even restricting artistic expression.

Legend: “Equality dissolves into terror, while the law seems blind and distant from the human”.