You’re right about the design as new — almost commercial design. And I would say that even saxes in the piece are stylized where the individuality is taken out — stylized to fit as a voice in a greater whole.
The saxes are there as a setting and Klimt’s art is the jewel in middle of the setting. The women are usually elongated, stretching up, trying to become a towering straight line. Reminds me of the Gothic Cathedrals reaching up to God, but with Klimt some women are also bent over and are showing their rear. Maybe that is their attraction too. And the flatness of the imagery is reflected in the decorative textile effects, women become stylized and flat, flat breasted too.
Yes, it is great to see the unity of the recent past with the more distant past.
EXCELLENT observation on the elongation. That also serves to separate you emotionally. I can’t get over the emotional reaction to the faces versus the aesthetic reaction to the design. I’m jerked apart, not flowing together. These really aren’t sexy women. Even the one with her rump showing prominently, though her expression is sexier than most. Your first comments about them being rich comes back to mind. That’s part of their separation from us. Those distant expressions. Looking at the academy painters, their lack of connection to us is from their mostly being the same patterned face. Here, we know this is a great portrait painter, so when they don’t connect emotionally, it’s Klimt who is forcing them apart from us.
Fun! Oh, how I miss the old art history classes.