Farmhouse in Upper Austria

This square landscape painting, part of Klimt’s Art Noveau legacy, is presumably depicting the same farmstead that can be seen in the background of Garden with Crucifix (p. 157). For Farmhouse in Upper Austria, Klimt chose to change the location and focus on the house itself, choosing a composition that places the building in all its length between two old, moss-covered fruit trees. Both trees have thick foliage and are full of fruit that seem to not have been harvested in a while.

Behind the solid trunk of the apple tree, the big barn door and a small vent opening can be seen. On the right side of the trunk, a bright yellow rosebush, similar to the one seen in Garden with Crucifix, is nestled between the tree and the border of the painting. However, the clear focus of the painting is the front of the house. The three small single-sash windows with the solid, wooden shutters, meant to keep out frost and wind in winter, seem to “look” directly at the viewer. A simple makeshift bench – presumably just made out of three rocks and a wooden board – is positioned directly under the windows.

The whole compound seems to be deserted: The aforementioned ripe fruit hasn’t been harvested, the blue paint of the façade is peeling off and the diligently covered stack with firewood is almost vanishing behind a bush of wild flowers. Even the windows on the side of the house, above the stack, are nearly covered by plants. The meadow, overgrown with beautiful summer flowers, lacks any sign of either human or animal presence. The overall atmosphere of the painting is one of tranquility.