plate no. 4988

Schloss Kammer am Attersee, II

Gustav Klimt, 1909

oil, canvasArt Nouveau (Modern)landscapelandscapebuildingtreesarchitecturefoliagegarden

what to study here

It shows how a small bright cluster can hold a canvas dominated by dark, broken-color foliage, with the edges kept soft where ivy overlaps stone.

Look at how the value structure is built here. Three zones carry the picture: a near-black warm brown for the shadowed wall and tower, a mid-dark ivy layer over most of the surface, and a small cluster of cream-white cupolas, window frames and plaques. Those pale shapes are the only bright forms, so the eye goes to them first. The ivy takes up nearly two-thirds of the canvas and pushes toward the viewer. Study the handling of that mass: small, directional dabs that stay as separate color notes and are never blended smooth. The architecture has slightly cleaner edges, but ivy strokes overlap and soften them, so the buildings sit in the dark rather than look cut out. Note the thin yellow-golden band between the foreground greenery and the building mass; it is the value transition that separates foreground from wall. The deepest darks stay warm brown, not true black. Try a squint test and a small value sketch before any color. Then copy a patch of the ivy and count how many greens, browns and ochres you need to keep it alive.

key decision

The painter kept the buildings as the only bright forms inside a dark, warm-brown and green envelope, and built the ivy from separate, unblended dabs. Ivy strokes overlap the architecture's edges so the light shapes sit within the mass.

recreation guide

Schloss Kammer am Attersee, II (1909) is a landscape painting by Gustav Klimt, created during a period when he was renowned for his Art Nouveau style, characterized by flatness, decoration, and the application of gold leaf (Source 4). While Klimt is often associated with his 'Golden Phase' and portraits of women, his landscape works from this era reflect a sophisticated tradition of representing natural scenery, where the sky and weather are integral elements of the composition (Source 3). The painting likely exhibits the artist's characteristic approach to color, where modifications of light and tone are perceived through the lens of simultaneous contrast, ensuring that colors harmonize with their inherent nature while responding to contiguous hues (Source 1).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the painting	—
Canvas	Support surface	—
White pigment	To lighten colors and create tints, though care must be taken to avoid hue shifts	Titanium White or Zinc White
Complementary pigments	To darken colors without shifting hue, or to neutralize mixtures	—
Varnish and oil mixture	For glazing and scumbling techniques to achieve transparent or semi-opaque layers	Dammar varnish mixed with linseed oil

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared according to standard oil painting practices of the early 20th century. While specific priming details for this exact work are not in the sources, Klimt’s practice involved a solid ground to support his decorative and flat aesthetic (Source 4).

underdrawing

Klimt’s preparatory methods for landscapes are not explicitly detailed in the provided sources. However, as a sound craftsman, he would likely have established the composition’s broad masses before refining details, consistent with the advice to copy works that address weaknesses in handling broad masses versus finish (Source 7).

underpainting

A monochrome underpainting (grisaille) may be employed to establish tonal values before applying color. This technique involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would remain in nature, creating a foundation for subsequent glazing and scumbling (Source 5).

color palette

Green

Yellow and Blue pigments, adjusted with complements to avoid hue shift

General use in landscape foliage, noting that darkening with black may shift yellows/oranges toward greenish/bluish tones (Source 2)

Blue

Ultramarine or similar blue, potentially mixed with white for tints

Sky and water elements, being cautious that lightening reds/oranges with white can shift toward blue (Source 2)

Neutral Grays

Black, Ultramarine, and White

Establishing tonal structure in underpainting or shadows, as suggested by Reynolds’ method (Source 5)

composition

The composition likely includes the sky as an almost always present element, with weather potentially playing a role in the mood (Source 3). Klimt’s landscapes are part of a tradition where views may be copied from reality with varying degrees of accuracy, but arranged into a coherent composition (Source 3). Specific details of the castle or landscape layout are not described in the sources, so the focus remains on the general arrangement of natural scenery.

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the broad masses of the landscape, including the sky, trees, and any architectural elements, focusing on the overall composition rather than fine details.
Tip — Ensure the sky is included as it is a key element in landscape painting (Source 3).
Compositional sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white to establish tonal values, mentally extracting red and yellow colors to see the underlying structure.
Tip — This helps in appreciating the color peculiar to each part and modifications of tone (Source 5).
Grisaille underpainting

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color, using glazing and scumbling techniques. Glaze with transparent coats of color, and scumble with semi-opaque layers to allow the underlying painting to show through.
Tip — Be aware that scumbling over a darker ground tends to coldness, which can be used to achieve a grey bloom (Source 5).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Adjust colors by mixing with complements to darken without shifting hue, or adding adjacent colors to correct hue shifts when lightening with white.
Tip — Avoid adding black to darken yellows/oranges/reds as it may shift them toward greenish/bluish tones (Source 2).
Color mixing with complements

finishing

step 05
Refine the details, ensuring that the colors harmonize with their inherent nature and respond to contiguous colors through simultaneous contrast.
Tip — Perceive and imitate modifications of light and color that might otherwise be disregarded due to their feeble intensity (Source 1).
Simultaneous contrast application

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Used to perceive and imitate the modifications of light and color on the model, ensuring that colors appear as they would in relation to their complements and contiguous hues (Source 1).

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color, while scumbling uses semi-opaque layers to allow the underlying painting to influence the final appearance, a method practiced by old masters (Source 5).

Color Mixing with Complements

Darkening colors by adding their complementary color rather than black to avoid hue shifts, and correcting hue shifts when lightening with white by adding adjacent colors (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to darken colors like yellows, oranges, and reds, which can cause unwanted hue shifts toward greenish or bluish tones (Source 2).
→Lightening colors with white without correcting for potential hue shifts, such as reds shifting toward blue (Source 2).
→Over-modeling or being too tied down to outlines, which can lead to a lack of broad mass handling (Source 7).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and application (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 Schloss Kammer am Attersee, II, such as the exact layout of the castle, trees, or sky, are not described in the sources.
·Klimt’s specific preparatory sketches or underdrawing techniques for this particular landscape are not documented in the provided passages.
·The exact palette of pigments used by Klimt for this work is not specified, only general color theory principles are provided.

grounded in

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

Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and color perception in the painting process.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Techniques for grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling.
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on handling broad masses versus finish in composition.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Guidance on mixing pigments, avoiding hue shifts, and using complements.
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Contextualizing the landscape genre and the inclusion of sky and weather.
Wikipedia bio — Gustav Klimt↗
- part 7 — applied to Understanding Klimt’s Art Nouveau style, flatness, and decorative approach.

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

Light enters from the upper left, creating a clear division: the castle towers and their cream-colored architectural details glow against a deeply shadowed dark-brown wall behind them. The massive ivy-covered wall dominates the composition, advancing aggressively toward the viewer and occupying nearly two-thirds of the canvas. Your eye lands first on the pale geometric shapes of the buildings (the two domed cupolas and rectangular structures) because they're the only bright forms breaking the dark envelope. A thin yellow-golden band of ground or path sits between the foreground greenery and the building mass, acting as a crucial value transition.

value structure

The painting has three distinct value zones: the very darkest darks are the heavily shadowed wall and tower body (nearly black-brown), a mid-dark zone is the ivy foliage covering most surfaces, and the lightest lights are the cream-white architectural details (cupolas, window frames, plaques). Squint and you see the buildings read as a small bright cluster floating in a dark mass; the greenery in the foreground reads slightly lighter than the wall. There's almost no true black—the deepest areas are warm, dark brown.

observed palette and mixes

#3b3832
Burnt Umber + Ultramarine Blue + touch of Ivory Black
The shadowed wall and tower body behind the architecture
#565c50
Raw Umber + Viridian + Burnt Sienna
Mid-tone ivy foliage covering most of the wall surface
#567d6e
Viridian + Ultramarine + Raw Umber + white
Cooler green passages in the foreground and middle-ground vegetation
#7c7f63
Yellow Ochre + Raw Umber + Viridian
The golden-tan horizontal band of ground between foreground and building
#7a9679
Viridian + Yellow Ochre + white + touch Ultramarine
Lighter, warmer greens in the foreground vegetation and scattered plant forms
#b3b892
Titanium White + Raw Sienna + touch of Viridian
Cream-buff highlights on cupola domes and architectural stone details

edges and brushwork

Klimt uses a scumbled, dabbed approach throughout: the ivy is built with small, directional touches that never blend smooth—each brushstroke remains visible as a discrete note of color, creating shimmering texture. The architectural details have slightly cleaner edges where stone meets shadow, but even these are softened by the creeping ivy strokes overlapping them. The foreground vegetation is handled loosely with vertical and diagonal strokes suggesting individual stems, not photographic leaves.

a working sequence

01
Establish the dark foundation
Tone your entire canvas with a thin wash of your darkest brown mixture (Burnt Umber + Ultramarine + black). This warm undertone will harmonize all subsequent layers. Work quickly and let it dry completely—this is your value anchor for everything that follows.
02
Block the major architectural forms
Using cream-white and pale buff (Titanium White + touch Raw Sienna), paint in the two domed cupolas, the rectangular building masses, and the white-painted lower structures. Keep these shapes simple and geometric—you're mapping where the light is. Don't refine edges yet; just establish their placement and relative brightness.
03
Build the wall darkness with layered greens and browns
Over the dark undertone, begin laying in the ivy foliage with broken strokes of your mid-tone mixes (#565c50 and the darker greens). Work in vertical sweeps following the vertical thrust of the vines, leaving small gaps where the brown wall shows through. Don't cover everything uniformly—the wall should feel like it's beneath the growth, not invisible.
04
Deepen the tower and shadow zones
The tall tower rising behind the left cupola needs to read as recessed shadow. Use the darkest brown (nearly black-brown) to build depth here, applying it more densely than the surrounding ivy. Let some of this dark brown also creep into the wall areas immediately adjacent to the cream buildings to increase contrast.
05
Add the golden-yellow ground band
Paint the horizontal strip of warm yellow-ochre (#7c7f63) between the foreground and the building. This acts as a light stage floor and is crucial for spatial separation. Keep it relatively thin and horizontal—it should feel like a paving or garden path receding into shadow.
06
Layer the foreground vegetation with varied greens
In the bottom quarter, apply your lighter, warmer greens (#7a9679) and cooler greens (#567d6e) with upright, dabbing strokes suggesting vines and stems. Vary the direction and density—cluster some strokes thickly on the left and right, leaving the center slightly more open. These plants should feel closer to the viewer than the distant wall.
07
Refine the architecture and add detail plaques
Return to the cream-colored buildings and sharpen their profiles slightly against the ivy. Use a smaller brush to suggest the small white plaques, window openings, and ornamental details visible on each building mass. These fine touches should remain crisp but never jarring—let the ivy strokes still overlap and soften their edges in places.
08
Unify with final broken-color passes
Make a final pass over the entire ivy area with a mix of greens, ochres, and muted blues, dabbing lightly so new strokes sit atop the previous layers without obliterating them. The goal is a shimmering, living surface where individual brushstrokes read as color notes rather than a flat wash. Pay special attention to transitions between the wall and foreground—they should feel connected by tone and texture, not separated.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making the ivy too uniform in color and value—Klimt uses dozens of subtle shifts. Keep your greens, browns, and yellows varied even when they're close in tone.
Rendering the architecture too sharply—the buildings should glow softly against the ivy, not jump off harshly. Let some ivy strokes overlap their edges; they shouldn't feel like a cutout.
Blending the broken strokes smooth—this ruins the shimmer. Resist the urge to blend; let each dab of color sit as a discrete mark. The painting lives in the texture, not the smoothness.
Ignoring the horizontal yellow band—this thin strip is vital for spatial depth and preventing the composition from feeling flat. Don't rush it; make it glow gently between the foreground and the dark mass.

measured difficulty