In 19th-century Europe, the majority of artwork that hung in museums was made in a traditional, realistic style. But as the 20th century approached, artists across Europe experienced frustrations with academic art’s limitations. As a student, Austrian artist Gustav Klimt impressed his teachers with works created in a realistic style. But the promising student wasn’t happy with his instructors’ stylistic rules. In 1897, Klimt co-founded the Vienna Secession, a group of artists who questioned the academic style and practiced their own. Klimt shocked viewers with works that blend realistic and decorative techniques, including his mural Medicine. In the iconic Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Klimt paints a woman’s face realistically, surrounding her with elaborate patterns applied in gold leaf.