Fir forests
A wall of dark trunks, almost no sky, and dozens of greens that make the shadow breathe. With Tannenwald I and Tannenwald II, Klimt transforms real undergrowth into colorful architecture.
The “Forests of” fir trees do not form a long numbered series, but two very close views painted during the summer of 1901: Tannenwald I, today in Zug, and Tannenwald II, in private collection.
Not to be confused: the German word Tannenwald is often translated as "fir forest" or "fir forest", while the trees depicted are generally described as conifers or spruce trees. The essential subject remains the same: a tight curtain of vertical trunks.
Four decisions that close then reopen the forest
At first glance, the space seems blocked. However, Klimt carefully organizes the gaps between the trunks, the variations in diameter and the breakthroughs of light. Depth does not come from a central path: it arises from differences in value and density.
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The sky suppressed
The trunks cross almost the entire square and exit through the upper edge. Without a peak or horizon, no panoramic view allows escape.
Uneven verticals
Trees do not form a regular grid. The intervals tighten, open and overlap to create a lively rhythm.
The light between the trees
The yellow-green areas and the small light touches are not simple details: they outline the air corridors which give depth to the green wall.
The ground as a threshold
A warmer, more readable strip appears at the bottom. It stabilizes the painting, but remains too narrow to become a comfortable path.
A dark painting, never monochrome
Klimt doesn't build shadow by simply adding black. It continually shifts the color: bluish green in the recesses, olive green in the masses, yellow green when light passes through the needles, red-brown at the edge of certain trunks. This circulation avoids uniform flatness.
The light does not fall on the forest like a spotlight: it fragments into small colored breaths.
The contrasts remain tight. This is precisely what forces the eye to slow down. After a few seconds, previously confused passages stand out: a colder area recedes, a golden touch advances, a brown silhouette becomes a trunk.
Fir forest I and II: same reason, two tensions
The two paintings are shown together at the XIII Viennese Secession Exhibition in 1902. They are not copies. Klimt moves the trunks, modifies the light breakthroughs and changes the sensation of density.
Fir forest I
The center appears slightly more open. Light greens and warm ground guide the eye between spaced trunks without forming an explicit path. The construction remains compact, but air circulates.
Fir forest II
The dark wall becomes more oppressive. The light verticals stand out more and the opening seems more distant. The eye must pass through several successive screens.
Five views of forest, 1901 -1904
The Gustav Klimt Database lists five "inside forest views" probably linked to the surroundings of the Bräuhof in Litzlberg. In a few summers, Klimt went from dark green undergrowth to lighter, more punctuated and almost textile surfaces.
Beech forest II
A clear and powerful trunk concentrates the gaze. The forest is no longer just a mass: each bark acquires its own presence.
Beech forest I
The carpet of red leaves becomes almost as important as the trunks. The touches multiply and the warm color rises in the image.
Birch forest
White bark illuminates the frame. The red-orange soil, saturated with leaves, transforms nature into a mosaic.
Around Litzlberg, far from the golden Klimt
The paintings are said to have been painted in the vicinity of the Bräuhof in Litzlberg, during Klimt's summer stays at the Attersee. There is no worldly woman, no gold, no spectacular arabesque: only the discipline of looking at an ordinary wooded area.
This modesty of the motif is decisive. Klimt is not looking for an exceptional tree. He chooses an anonymous whole, then organizes the repetition. The landscape becomes modern because the framing transforms a banal fragment into an autonomous surface.
Historical photography. Klimt is documented on the banks of the Attersee with a spotting scope. The image is a few years later than Fir forests, but it helps to understand his taste for optical selection: isolating a portion of the landscape, bringing the planes together and eliminating what disperses attention.
How Klimt holds a forest in a square
Cut the tops
By removing the tops of the trees, Klimt avoids the picturesque and makes it feel like the forest continues beyond the canvas.
Repeat without aligning
Verticality dominates, but each interval changes. This calculated irregularity prevents the image from becoming geometric decoration.
Overlap the greens
Cold hues recede, yellow-greens advance. Depth is produced by color as much as by overlap.
Fragment the key
Small lines and spots break down needles, moss and light. Up close, the pattern comes undone; from a distance, it recomposes itself.
Three very different situations
Fir forest I · Zug
The work belongs to the Stiftung Sammlung Kamm and is associated with the Kunsthaus Zug. As with any collection, check the hanging before moving specifically to the painting.
Official sheetBeech forest I · Dresden
This major evolution of the cycle belongs to the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Galerie Neue Meister. The museum is located at the Albertinum; presentation may vary.
Prepare the visitPrivate hand versions
Fir forest II, Beech forest II and Birch forest are in private collections. They can reappear during exhibitions or sales, but do not constitute a permanent journey.
See the scientific fileFind the depth of Fir Forest I
The hand-painted reproduction takes up the almost square format and the essential passages of the painting: brown verticals, black green undergrowth, olive clearings and warmed ground. The link below leads to the verified product.
Fir forest I
A dense but calm image, suitable for an interior where you want a deep plant dominant rather than a bright green. The square maintains the balanced rhythm desired by Klimt.
See reproductionFAQs
How many Klimt Fir Forests are there?
Two paintings bear this title: Tannenwald I and Tannenwald II, both dated 1901. They belong to a larger set of five painted forest views up to 1904.
Where is Fir Forest I?
It belongs to the Stiftung Sammlung Kamm and is kept in conjunction with the Kunsthaus Zug, in Switzerland. The presentation must be checked before the visit.
Where is Fir Forest II located?
The second version is in a private collection. It is therefore not permanently visible in a museum.
Why does the painting seem almost abstract?
The sky is eliminated, the peaks are cut and repeated trunks cover the surface. Yet overlaps and color variations maintain real depth.
Did Klimt use gold in these forests?
No, the valuable effect here comes from the modulation of greens, browns and yellows. The tables precede and accompany the affirmation of its golden period, but follow another material logic.
Are trees really fir trees?
The German title is Tannenwald. Depending on the translations and botanical identification, we speak of fir trees, conifers or spruce trees. Artistic analysis depends mainly on the repetition of trunks and the density of the undergrowth.
What is the difference with Beech Forest and Birch Forest?
The following works lighten the weft. Red leaves and white bark take on more importance, while the floor becomes a carpet of colorful touches.
Why does Klimt use a square format?
The square reduces the panorama effect and enhances the autonomy of the surface. No axis naturally dominates: Klimt can distribute the trunks as a continuous rhythm.
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