plate no. 6105

Garden with Roosters

Gustav Klimt, 1917

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)landscapegardenflowersroosterspathfoliagegate

what to study here

It shows how a soft, empty path and a dense field of crisp, repetitive dabs can be balanced inside one tightly controlled value structure.

The useful lesson here is how one empty strip organizes a crowded picture. A pale path runs up the center, and the vision analysis describes it as soft and almost smudged. The flower masses on either side are built from tight, repetitive dabs and circular strokes, with crisp, separated edges around each bloom. That contrast between a quiet passage and a busy one is what to copy first. Squint and the values simplify: two dark anchors, a dark reddish-brown rooster in the foreground and the gate in the middle distance, with a bright path between them. The flowers read as one medium-value mass of tan, beige and gray even though the colors vary, so the density holds together. Light falls from above, bleaching the path and the upper flowers while the left and right edges go into shadow. Notice also that the color notes of pale yellow, red and deep brown sit side by side without being blended into each other. Do a small value thumbnail first, then try one flower cluster with dabs alone.

key decision

The painter left the central path soft and nearly empty while building the flanking flowers from crisp, repeated dabs. The two dark anchors, rooster and gate, hold the vertical read.

From the record

Dimensions: 110 cm high × 110 cm wide
Inception: 1917
Materials: oil paint, canvas

Wikidata item Q138192294

recreation guide

Gustav Klimt’s 'Garden with Roosters' (1917) represents the artist’s late landscape period, characterized by a departure from the heavy gold leaf of his earlier 'Golden Phase' toward a more naturalistic, yet still stylized, depiction of nature. While the specific visual details of the roosters and garden layout are not described in the provided sources, Klimt’s general practice during this era involved painting landscapes that served as a retreat from the symbolic intensity of his figure paintings. The work is executed in oil, a medium that allows for the layering techniques and textural variations Klimt employed to achieve depth and luminosity. The painting likely reflects the influence of his time in the Austrian countryside, where he sought to capture the essence of the landscape through a lens that balances observation with decorative abstraction.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

7 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (artist grade)	Primary medium for the painting	—
Linseed oil	Medium to thin paint and adjust drying time; essential for 'fat over lean' layering	—
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes	—
Canvas	Support surface	—
Charcoal or thinned paint	For initial sketching of the composition	—
Palette knives and rags	For applying paint, scraping off layers, and adjusting texture	—
Cold wax or resins (optional)	To adjust translucency and sheen, consistent with Klimt’s experimental approach to oil media	—

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be primed with a traditional ground suitable for oil painting. Klimt’s practice, particularly in his later years, did not heavily rely on the gold leaf grounds of his earlier period for landscapes, but rather on standard oil painting supports. Ensure the surface is stable to prevent cracking, as Klimt’s layering techniques require a solid foundation (Source 1).

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the composition onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. This initial step allows for adjustments before applying heavier layers of paint. Klimt’s landscapes often feature a structured yet organic arrangement of elements, so the underdrawing should establish the placement of the roosters and garden features with precision (Source 1).

underpainting

Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish the tonal values of the landscape. This technique, common among old masters and relevant to Klimt’s method, involves painting in neutral tones to define light and shadow before adding color. This layer should be allowed to dry completely before proceeding (Source 2).

color palette

Earth tones (greens, browns, ochres)

Natural earth pigments mixed with linseed oil

General use in Klimt’s landscape palette to depict foliage and ground

Vibrant accents (reds, yellows)

Transparent glazes of red and yellow pigments

Highlighting specific elements like the roosters’ plumage or flowers, applied via glazing techniques

Neutral grays and whites

White and black or ultramarine mixed with white

Establishing tonal values in the underpainting and for highlights

composition

While the specific composition of 'Garden with Roosters' is not detailed in the sources, Klimt’s landscapes generally feature a coherent arrangement of natural elements, often with a wide view and inclusion of the sky. The composition likely balances the organic forms of the garden with the structured presence of the roosters, reflecting Klimt’s ability to integrate figures into landscape settings. The artist’s approach to landscape painting often involved a degree of imaginative interpretation rather than strict topographical accuracy (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the main elements of the garden and roosters onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure the proportions and placement are accurate before proceeding.
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting to establish tonal values. Use neutral tones to define light and shadow.
Tip — Allow this layer to dry completely to prevent cracking in subsequent layers.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color with thin layers of oil paint mixed with solvent. Follow the 'fat over lean' rule, ensuring each layer has more oil than the previous one.
Tip — Use brushes or palette knives to apply paint, adjusting texture as needed.
Fat over lean

refining

step 04
Glaze transparent layers of color over the dried underpainting to enhance depth and luminosity. Scumble semi-opaque layers to adjust tones and textures.
Tip — Be patient; allow each glaze to dry before applying the next.
Glazing and scumbling

finishing

step 05
Add final details and adjustments. Use palette knives or rags to scrape or blend paint as necessary to achieve the desired effect.
Tip — Oil paint remains wet longer than other media, allowing for changes in color and form.
Texture adjustment

varnishing

step 06
Once the painting is completely dry (typically within two weeks), apply a varnish to protect the surface and enhance the sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry to prevent trapping solvents.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Fat over lean

Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a fundamental rule in oil painting that Klimt would have adhered to.

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dried underpainting to build depth and luminosity. This technique is consistent with the methods of old masters and relevant to Klimt’s layered approach.

Scumbling

Using semi-opaque paint to adjust tones and textures, allowing the underlying layers to show through. This can create a 'grey bloom' effect, useful for atmospheric landscapes.

common pitfalls

→Applying layers with less oil than the previous layer, which can lead to cracking and peeling (Source 1).
→Rushing the drying process; oil paint dries by oxidation and can take up to two weeks to dry to the touch (Source 1).
→Overworking the paint while it is still wet, which can muddy colors and lose texture. Use rags and solvents to correct mistakes while the paint is wet (Source 1).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of the roosters and garden layout in 'Garden with Roosters' are not described in the sources.
·Exact pigment palette used by Klimt for this specific painting is not detailed.
·Klimt’s specific preparatory sketches or studies for this work are not mentioned.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to General oil painting techniques, including 'fat over lean', drying times, and use of solvents.
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Context of Klimt’s landscape work and general landscape painting traditions.
Wikipedia bio — Gustav Klimt↗
- Gustav Klimt — part 4 — applied to Context of Klimt’s artistic development and public commissions.
- Gustav Klimt — part 5 — applied to Klimt’s involvement with the Vienna Secession and his stylistic evolution.

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A narrow cream-white path cuts vertically through the composition, anchored by a dark reddish-brown rooster in the immediate foreground and a smaller figure (likely another rooster or person) receding toward a distant gate. The path is completely hemmed by towering, densely-packed flowers—white, pink, red, and yellow blooms with green foliage—creating a claustrophobic garden corridor. Light falls from above, bleaching the path and highlighting the upper flower masses, while the left and right edges deepen into shadow. Your eye enters at the foreground rooster and travels upward along the pale path toward atmospheric depth.

value structure

The darkest darks cluster in the foreground rooster (nearly black-brown), the gate structure mid-distance, and the outer edges. The lightest lights are the path itself and the upper portions of pale pink and white flowers. Mid-tones dominate the flower masses—a cohesive tan-beige-gray that reads as one unified mass despite color variation. Squint and you see two dark vertical anchors (rooster and gate) with a bright river between them, surrounded by a medium-value flower wall.

observed palette and mixes

#43322d
Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine Blue, touch of black
The rooster's body, the gate framework, deepest shadow edges throughout
#90806e
Raw Sienna + Titanium White + touch of Ultramarine
Mid-tone foliage, shadowed flower petals, the bulk of the left and right flower masses
#726052
Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine + White
Darker foliage stems, interior shadow within flower clusters
#aea18c
Yellow Ochre + Titanium White + Raw Sienna
Pale flowers (yellows and near-whites), lit foliage highlights
#c3b8a5
Titanium White + Raw Sienna + touch of Cadmium Yellow
The central path, the brightest flowers, foreground highlights
#694a3f
Alizarin Crimson + Raw Sienna + Ultramarine
Red and deep pink flowers scattered throughout, rooster's undertones

edges and brushwork

Klimt uses a deliberate, fussy pointillist-adjacent method here—flowers are built with tight, repetitive dabs and circular strokes rather than smooth blending. Edges between flower and leaf are crisp, outlined, and separated; each bloom reads as a distinct shape. The path, by contrast, is left soft and atmospheric, almost smudged, creating maximum contrast with the fussy, busy flower textures flanking it.

a working sequence

01
Establish the path and anchor points
Lightly sketch the vertical cream-white path down the center, then block in the dark rooster shape in the foreground and the distant gate/figure. Use diluted raw sienna and ultramarine to keep these loose. This gives you the compositional spine—everything else will frame this central void.
02
Underpaint the flower masses in mid-tone
Cover the left and right flanking areas with a warm mid-gray (raw sienna + ultramarine + white). Use flat brushes and work quickly to establish that the flowers will sit *on top* of this foundation. Don't worry about individual blooms yet—you're creating the wall they'll emerge from.
03
Paint the rooster and gate
Block in the foreground rooster with burnt sienna + ultramarine, keeping the body mass solid and dark. Rough in the distant gate structure the same way. These are your darkest darks and will anchor your value range. Keep edges soft at this stage; you'll sharpen them later.
04
Establish foliage and shadow depth
Using round brushes (sizes 4–6), begin laying down darker foliage strokes—burnt sienna + ultramarine mixes—between and behind where flowers will sit. Concentrate these darkest greens and browns in the outer edges and deep within the flower clusters. This creates the illusion of depth and recession into shadow.
05
Block in the pale flowers—yellows, whites, and light pinks
Switch to a small round brush and begin dotting and dabbing pale blooms across both flanks: yellow ochre + white for yellows, nearly pure white for the palest petals, alizarin + white for light pinks. Vary your touch—some petals are solid, others outlined. Don't cover the entire mid-tone yet; leave gaps so the underpainting shows through as shadow.
06
Layer the deeper reds and warm mid-tones
Go back with alizarin + raw sienna mixes to add deeper red flowers scattered throughout, particularly visible on the right side and lower left. These sit *over* the pale flowers in some places, receding in others. Use the same fussy dabbing technique. Start establishing flower clusters rather than isolated blooms—they should read as overlapping groups.
07
Refine the path and define edges
Clean up the central path with pale cream-white (titanium white + raw sienna + touch of yellow ochre). Soften its edges where it meets shadow; keep it slightly brighter than the surrounding flowers. Use a flat brush and a light touch—the path should feel almost atmospheric, not carved. Add small green and brown stems where the path meets flowers to anchor them.
08
Final pass: layer, texture, and finishing details
Return to the rooster and sharpen its silhouette with the darkest mix. Add highlights on individual flowers with near-white dabs. Go through the entire composition adding small accent strokes—darker leaves where they overlap, tiny red blooms peeking from shadow, lighter petal tips catching light. Step back often; the goal is visual density and rhythm, not photographic detail.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Treating the flowers as individuals rather than a cohesive mass. Klimt builds them in clusters with overlapping shapes; painting each bloom separately will fragment the composition. Think in groups.
Making the path too detailed or textured. Its beauty is its emptiness and softness—resist the urge to add pattern or shadow. It must read as a void cutting through density.
Over-blending the flower palette. The power comes from distinct color notes sitting side-by-side—pale yellows next to reds next to deep browns. Keep your brushwork visible and your colors unmixed on the canvas.
Neglecting the dark foliage underneath. Without those deep, shadowed greens and browns peeking through, the flowers will feel flat and pasted on. Build depth by layering darks first, lights second.

measured difficulty