A downward view into a dense pine forest, Gustav Klimt’s meditative landscape focuses exclusively on vegetal growth in a mysterious world independent of mankind. Only a few tiny, almost magical, flashes of light hint at the open sky beyond. The painterly texture and delicate brushwork inspired by Pointillism unifies diverse elements of the composition, creating a pattern of columnar tree trunks in a closed and silent space. The artist has created his own private universe inside this square canvas. Klimt was the leader of the Vienna-based group Secession, founded in 1897 to champion artistic freedom. Although he is best known today for his sensual portraits of Viennese society ladies, almost half his work was devoted to landscape motifs.