Description
Island in Lake Attersee is the lake view Gustav Klimt painted in about 1901–1902: a shimmering surface of turquoise, green and pale blue strokes fills almost the whole square, with a dark wooded island at the top right and a misty far shore along the top edge. The original is in a private collection. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas, in eight square sizes from 60 x 60 to 150 x 150 cm or to your own measurement, and send you a photograph of the finished work for approval before dispatch.
| Title: | Island in Lake Attersee |
| Other titles: | Insel im Attersee · Isola nel lago Attersee · Otok na jezeru Attersee |
| Painter: | Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) |
| Year painted: | about 1901–1902 |
| Original size: | 100.5 cm x 100.5 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Painting style: | Vienna Secession, landscape |
| Located at: | Private collection |
| Our reproduction: | Hand-painted oil on canvas, eight square sizes or made to measure |
Island in Lake Attersee – Gustav Klimt
What does the painting show?
Almost the entire square is water. Short strokes of turquoise, green, pale blue and silver lie side by side, and together they become the surface of a lake moving gently in the light. Towards the top the water grows paler, as if it reflected a bright, hazy sky that we never actually see.
At the top right a dark, wooded island rises from the lake, its trees mirrored in a deeper shade below. Along the very top edge runs a misty, grey-violet strip – the far shore, almost dissolved in the summer haze. There is no boat, no figure and no house, only the water and the island. Looking at it feels like sitting on the shore on a quiet morning and watching the lake breathe.
Klimt’s summers at the Attersee
From 1898 Klimt spent his summers in the Salzkammergut, the Austrian lake district where the Attersee lies. There, far from his studio in Vienna, he was able to paint outdoors for the first time, in front of the landscape itself. The lake, the trees along its shores and the gardens around it became the subjects of his landscapes for many years.
Island in Lake Attersee is an early example of the square format that Klimt would become known for. Instead of a wide panorama with sky and mountains, he chose a square canvas and filled it almost entirely with water. That bold decision is what makes the painting feel so modern, more than a century after it was made.
Why is the painting compared with Monet?
Because of the way the water is painted. The surface of the lake is not one smooth colour but hundreds of separate strokes, each catching a little of the light, the sky or the shade of the island. This treatment of water has been compared to the work of the French Impressionist Claude Monet, who also painted lakes and ponds as a play of reflected light.
Yet the painting is unmistakably Klimt: the high horizon, the square format and the almost ornamental pattern of the strokes give it a calm, decorative order. On a wall it works like a window onto water: it cools a warm room and quiets a busy one.
Where is the original?
The original, painted in oil on canvas and measuring 100.5 cm square, is in a private collection. It once belonged to Paul and Irene Hellmann, a Jewish couple persecuted during the Holocaust. In May 2023 it was sold at Sotheby’s in New York for 53.2 million US dollars. More about its history is in the English Wikipedia article on the painting.
Because the original hangs in a private home, a hand-painted version is the only way for most people to live with this view of the Attersee. Our version is not a print: we paint it for you, by hand, in the size you choose – and our 100 x 100 cm size is almost exactly the size of Klimt’s canvas.
Island in Lake Attersee and On Lake Attersee
Between 1900 and 1902 Klimt painted this same view of the lake twice. The other version, On Lake Attersee, is also in our gallery. Which to choose? Island in Lake Attersee is lighter and more varied, with the island clearly placed at the top right; in On Lake Attersee the water is even more dominant and the island only peeks in at the corner. In the same size, the two hang beautifully side by side as a pair.
Among Klimt’s other summer landscapes you will find Poppy Field, a meadow glowing with red flowers, Forest of Beech Trees with its rhythm of slim trunks, and Apple Tree I, a tree heavy with red apples. Choose the island if you love water and calm; choose the meadow or the apple tree if you want more colour. More about Klimt’s life is on Wikipedia’s Klimt page.
How do we paint Island in Lake Attersee by hand?
The painter first draws the main lines on the canvas: the outline of the island, its reflection and the line of the far shore. Then the large areas go on in thin layers – the turquoise and green of the water, the paler band towards the top, the dark green of the island and the grey-violet haze.
After that comes the long part: hundreds of short strokes of colour, laid side by side across the water until the surface begins to move and sparkle, and the darker touches that shape the trees on the island. A printed oil painting reproduction flattens all of those strokes into one smooth surface; painted by hand, each stroke keeps its own body and catches the light. Every painting is a hand-painted copy made for your order, so no two are quite alike.
There is no gold in this landscape, and none in our version: we use oil colours only, as in the original.
Which size for which wall?
In short: 60 x 60 or 70 x 70 cm for a small wall, a hallway or a bathroom; 80 x 80 or 90 x 90 cm above a chest of drawers or in a bedroom; 100 x 100 or 110 x 110 cm above a sofa; and 120 x 120 or 150 x 150 cm for a large wall or an open-plan room. The 100 x 100 cm size is about the size of the original.
All eight sizes are square, just like Klimt’s canvas, so nothing is cropped. The shimmering water works best large, so if you have the space, choose 100 x 100 cm or more. As a painting for the living room, 120 x 120 cm above a three-seat sofa feels like a window onto the lake. In a bedroom or a bathroom the cool blue-green colours help to create a restful mood.
Hang it with the centre of the canvas about 150 to 160 cm above the floor; over furniture, leave 20 to 30 cm between the top of the furniture and the lower edge of the canvas. As a rule of thumb, a painting above a sofa looks best at about two thirds of the sofa’s width.
Custom size, stretcher and frame
If none of the eight sizes fits your wall, we paint it to measure; keep it square, or close to square, so the lake is not stretched. Send us the width and height you want and we will quote the price and delivery time. Every painting we make is stretched on a wooden stretcher frame and ready to hang.
For the moulding, use our 3D application: it shows every one of our frame profiles on this subject, so you can compare gold, silver, black, white and natural wood before deciding – the application is for choosing the frame only. If you would like to see how the painting will look on your own wall, that is our separate room placement service. A white or silver frame keeps the water light and cool; a natural wood frame adds warmth.
Delivery and guarantee
Every painting is made to order in our studio in Slovenia, so allow 15 to 45 days depending on the size you choose. We ship it stretched and protected for transport, framed if you chose a frame, across the EU with no customs. Before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve; if anything is not right, we correct it while the canvas is still in our workshop. Our returns policy applies to every order.
If it is a gift and you are not sure of the size, there is our gift voucher. More of Klimt’s work is in our Gustav Klimt gallery, and more about the painter in our article 10 interesting facts about Gustav Klimt.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the original Island in Lake Attersee by Klimt?
The original is in a private collection. It was sold at Sotheby’s in New York in May 2023 for 53.2 million US dollars, so it is not shown in a public museum. It is painted in oil on canvas and measures 100.5 cm square, almost exactly the size of our 100 x 100 cm version.
When did Klimt paint Island in Lake Attersee?
Klimt painted it in about 1901–1902. From 1898 he spent his summers in the Salzkammergut, the lake district where the Attersee lies, and there he could paint outdoors for the first time. The painting is an early example of the square format that later became typical of all his landscapes.
What does Klimt’s Island in Lake Attersee show?
It shows a lake surface of short turquoise, green and pale blue strokes that fills almost the whole square, growing lighter towards the top. A dark wooded island rises at the top right, and a misty grey-violet far shore runs along the top edge. There are no people, boats or houses, only water and light.
Is Island in Lake Attersee the same view as On Lake Attersee?
Yes, Klimt painted the same view twice between 1900 and 1902. In both, water fills almost the whole square and the island appears at the top right; in On Lake Attersee the island only peeks in at the corner. We paint both by hand, and in the same size they make a beautiful pair on one wall.
Why is Island in Lake Attersee compared with Monet?
Because of the way Klimt painted the water: hundreds of small separate strokes that catch the light, rather than one smooth colour. This treatment of water has been compared to Claude Monet, the French Impressionist famous for his ponds. Klimt adds his own square format and an almost decorative order of strokes.
Is there gold in Island in Lake Attersee?
No, there is no gold in this lake view. It is painted in natural colours – turquoise, green, pale blue, grey-violet and the dark green of the island – and its shimmer comes from the many small strokes, not from metal leaf. We therefore paint our version in oil colours only, without gold paint, like the original.
Which size of Island in Lake Attersee suits my wall?
For a small wall, a hallway or a bathroom, 60 x 60 or 70 x 70 cm works well. Above a chest of drawers or a bed choose 80 x 80 or 90 x 90 cm, above a sofa 100 x 100 or 110 x 110 cm, and for a large wall 120 x 120 or 150 x 150 cm. The 100 x 100 cm size is about the original.
Which room suits Island in Lake Attersee?
It suits a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom or a quiet study – anywhere you want calm and the freshness of water. As a canvas painting it pairs well with white, grey, sand or pale blue walls, light wood and linen. It is a lovely choice for anyone who has spent a summer by an Austrian lake, or who simply loves the sea.
Is Island in Lake Attersee a good gift?
Yes, especially for someone who loves water, travel or Klimt’s landscapes rather than his famous gold. The square format fits almost any wall, and the subject is calm and timeless. If you are not sure of the size, choose 80 x 80 cm, which fits most homes, or give a voucher so the recipient can choose the size.
- Subject: a shimmering turquoise lake that fills almost the whole square, a dark wooded island at the top right and a misty far shore.
- Original: about 1901–1902, oil on canvas, 100.5 x 100.5 cm, private collection.
- Our version: a Klimt reproduction painted by hand in oil on canvas, in eight square sizes or made to measure.
- Good to know: before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work for approval.
