"This book boldly brings together the celebrated and well-known work of Klimt with the less well-known work of Japanese erotic artists from the generations before him. Japanonisme has been intensely studied, but there remain concealed areas of interest and influence. Svitlana Shiells book brings one to the fore. Admirers of Klimt will find surprises at every turn."
-- Timon Screech, Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto
"Shiells book presents an innovative and extensive analysis of the impact of Japanese art on Klimt and the larger culture of Vienna. Her work explores rarely discussed German-language literature and exhibitions of Japanese art, as well as personal friendships, to uncover sources for Klimts developments in formal experimentation, decorative design, and content that ranges from kimonos to objects related to Shinto belief. This book will have a transformative effect on how viewers and scholars understand Klimts famous paintings in a global context."
-- Marsha Morton, Professor, Pratt Institute, New York
"My father and I have collected nearly all books on Klimt's art. Unlike anything else written previously, Svitlana Shiells book takes a deeper and more comprehensive approach to the art of Gustav Klimt, my great uncle. She understands his art like no one else, and her book sets a major milestone in the study of Klimts heritage."
-- Peter Zimpel, great nephew of Gustav Klimt, Vienna
"Klimt wrote that those who wanted to know something about him as an artist should look carefully at his pictures, indeed that everything worth knowing was there to be seen. Svitlana Shiells has done that careful looking and, in the process, uncovered what was hidden in plain sight: Klimts deep admiration for and indebtedness to Japanese art, from ukiyo-e prints and shunga to kimonos and Shinto shrines. Bolstering her insights with prodigious research, Shiells has produced a book that is a must-read for anyone interested in not only Klimt but Viennese modernism at large."
-- Lisa Florman, Professor, The Ohio State University
