At the end of the nineteenth century, artists from diverse fields gathered in Vienna, and there was a heated discussion about creating art suitable for the new era. Serving as a leading figure among the young artists who were rebelling against the conservative establishment, Gustav Klimt and other artists founded the Vienna Secession and declared a break from tradition.

Klimt actively organized exhibitions and provided an arena for artists to freely discuss their opinions about artworks. The Vienna Secession helped broaden the scope of its members’ activities not just in art, but also in crafts and designs. Moreover, it published a magazine titled Ver Sacrum (Sacred Spring) that introduced trends in other countries. The Vienna Secession was founded upon the concept of “Gesamtkunstwerk,” or universal work of art, aiming to achieve a cohesive form of beauty by interlinking various art genres.