Pastel on paper Gustav Klimt "Judith", circa 1909, signed private collection, unframed dimensions approximately 19x14. Gustav Klimt, (born July 14, 1862, Vienna, Austria—died Feb. 6, 1918, Vienna) Austrian painter, founder of the school of painting known as the Vienna Sezession. After studying at the Vienna School of Decorative Arts, Klimt in 1883 opened an independent studio specializing in the execution of mural paintings. His early work was typical of late 19th-century academic painting, as can be seen in his murals for the Vienna Burgtheater (1888) and on the staircase of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.