Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I", 1907
Gustav Klimt was an Austrian artist who is prominently known for his "Golden Phase," in which he used gold leaf liberally in the backgrounds, patterns, and ornaments of his paintings. The portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was commissioned in 1903 and took the artist four years to complete. The artworks "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I", "The Stoclet Frieze", and "The Kiss" are considered the height of the period.

His appreciation for gold was presumed to come from his upbringing; his father, Ernst Klimt, was a goldsmith, along with his younger brother, also named Ernst. Klimt's golden phase ended around 1911, when he began using gold in his artworks scarcely.