The Three Ages Of Woman, (1905)

Three Ages of Women was painted by Gustav Klimt in 1905. The painting shows a collections of women of three different ages. At the far right we have the baby; Holding the baby we have the young mother; and to the left of the mother we have the old woman. The women are surrounded by different symbols, representing the energy of life. Beyond this symbol, golden and darker colors indicate a void, kept at bay for now by the energy of life.

The Three Ages of Women was the first allegory by Klimt that did not rely on historical or mythical figures, like e.g. Judith. It was also the beginning of the larger multi figure allegories which Klimt spent his later years completing.

The figures in the painting can also be discerned in both Medicine and in Death and Life. As is typical for Gustav Klimt, the study was purely of the female form.

For those interested in seeing the original painting on display, Three Ages of Women can be found at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome, Italy.