Hygieia – Gustav Klimt, 1900–1907
Framed Canvas Reproduction (from the Faculty Paintings / Medicine Panel)
Commanding and enigmatic, Hygieia is one of Gustav Klimt’s most iconic and symbolically charged figures, originally part of his controversial Medicine panel for the University of Vienna. Painted between 1900 and 1907, this image of the Greek goddess of health stands at the center of Klimt’s bold challenge to academic traditions, merging myth, sensuality, and spiritual symbolism into a single mesmerizing presence.
Hygieia, daughter of Asclepius and personification of healing, is depicted frontally with intense gaze, a golden halo of ornament surrounding her head and body. Her red robe flows in angular folds as she holds the sacred serpent and bowl—symbols of regeneration and medicine. Behind her, Klimt’s dense, gold-accented patterns and allegorical figures dissolve into abstraction, emphasizing her divine isolation and power.
This museum-quality framed canvas reproduction revives the lost brilliance of the original painting, which was tragically destroyed in 1945. What remains through photographic records and restoration efforts is a portrait of divine authority and beauty—mystical, sensual, and thoroughly modern.
Ideal for collectors who value mythological themes, feminist iconography, or the avant-garde legacy of Vienna Secession art, Hygieia is a statement piece that radiates strength, intellect, and reverence.