Early Life, Family and Training In the small town of Baumgarten, near Vienna, Gustav Klimt was born into a world where the shimmer of metal was a constant presence. His father, Ernst Klimt, spent his days as a gold engraver, a craft that required a steady hand and an eye for the finest details. This early intimacy with precious metals and the precision of engraving would eventually find its way into the very soul of his later compositions. Yet, life was not always a matter of luster and ease. The family faced frequent financial hardships, which forced them to move often through the streets o…