The Golden Forest (Timemit):
The digital forest Klimt never made

The Golden Forest is a modern digital artwork that is frequently mistaken on the internet for an authentic piece by Gustav Klimt. Because of its warm amber tones, vertical lines, and mosaic-like textures that recall Klimt’s style, the image has circulated widely on platforms like Pinterest and Facebook under Klimt’s name.

In reality, the piece is entirely digital. It was uploaded in 2012 to DeviantArt by digital artist Tim Ewing, who creates digital art under the username timemit. Although his profile remains active today, the original page for this artwork has since been removed.

Traces in the Digital Dust

While the original live page is gone, you can still explore the piece’s history through a 2021 snapshot on the Wayback Machine. Although the digital image file itself is missing from the archive, the preserved comment section offers an interesting look back. It shows that the connection to Klimt was made immediately, but completely innocently. One user commented:

“OOH, very Klimt! I love this! It always amazes me how something so precise and mathematical can be so organic. Beautiful!”

To which Timemit directly responded, explaining that the image was actually generated using fractal software formulas:

“thanks,, i love klimt .. fractals abound in nature and natural structures :) … I really like these places you can find in Ducks formula..you can get these spots from the params here.”

When another user mentioned that the work reminded them of Klimt, Timemit noted that the resemblance caught him by surprise as well, showing there was never an intention to create a forgery:

“thanks , yes it did with me also but I did not start out to make it that way. Can’t help but be influenced by my past enjoyment of his work :)”

This exchange perfectly captures the essence of The Imitation Game. The Golden Forest was not created to deceive. It was a digital artist experimenting with formulas while being subconsciously influenced by a painter he admired. Once shared online, users simply assumed it was a Klimt because it felt familiar, showing how easily online misattributions take on a life of their own.