Up: [[Life]] Created: 2022-07-20 ![[Three Ages of Women Klimt.webp]] This painting was made in 1905, before Klimt’s death in 1918. It’s in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome. It’s also known as ‘Mother and Child.’ It was the artist’s first large scale oil painting. According to the [website](https://www.gustav-klimt.com/The-Three-Ages-Of-Woman.jsp) the [[Crone]] is symbolic of the passage of time. I don’t like it. It disturbs me, not because of the passage of time, but because the old woman is hiding her face, seems to be destroyed by the passage of time. It’s a common understanding of aging but one I want to fight, one I reject. Apparently many feminists have been unhappy with it too because they think it says that a woman’s most significant role in life is that of young mother, and that it doesn’t acknowledge the enduring strength of women. The figure of the old woman is apparently based on a sculpture, The Old Courtesan, by Rodin that Klimt really admired. I can see the connection in the bodies of the two women, but it’s a notable difference that the old courtesan is not covering her face. ![[The Old Courtesan by Rodin.webp|300]]