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Back View of a Reclining Female Semi-Nude with Raised Arms. Study for The Bride, c. 1917

Leopold Museum,
Vienna
Pencil on Japanese paper
56.6×37.2 cm

Artists

  • Gustav Klimt

    (Baumgarten near Vienna/Vienna 1862–1918 Vienna)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
The present work on paper is part of the comprehensive group of studies for the painting The Bride which Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) was working on in 1917/18 and left unfinished in his studio. Six of these studies are kept today at the Leopold Museum. According to Alice Strobl, the present drawing can be linked to the enraptured nude which dominates the right half of the painting. Klimt executed a particularly large number of studies for this figure which is characterized by intense movement of the body and arms despite a sleeping facial expression. In these studies, as in the present drawing, the draperies often billow around the face and swing off towards the back like a cape. The erratic, loose style of drawing underscores the model’s staggering, seemingly out-of-control movement. Throughout his lifetime, Rudolf Leopold was able to acquire three studies for this ecstatic figure, among them Back View of a Reclining Female Semi-Nude with Closed Eyes.

FS

Object data

Artist/author
  • Gustav Klimt
Title
Back View of a Reclining Female Semi-Nude with Raised Arms. Study for The Bride
Date
c. 1917
Art movement
Symbolism, Art Nouveau
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
Pencil on Japanese paper
Dimensions
56.6×37.2 cm
Signature
Stamp (faded) lower left: GUSTAV KLIMT NACHLASS; designated lower right using pencil: S
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 1299
Inventory access
Contributed to the Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung in 1994
Selection of Reference works
  • Linie und Form. 100 Meisterzeichnungen aus der Sammlung Leopold, hrsg. von Franz Smola/Fritz Koreny, Wien 2014 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 23.05.2014–20.10.2014).
  • Gustav Klimt. Die Sammlung im Leopold Museum, hrsg. von Tobias G. Natter/Elisabeth Leopold, Ostfildern 2013 (Bestandskatalog des Leopold Museum: Band 1).
  • Alice Strobl: Gustav Klimt. Die Zeichnungen 1912-1918, Salzburg 1984.
Catalogue raisonne
  • Strobl Bd. 3/1984: 3067
Keywords
semi-nudewoman/girllying figure (fem.)backhead turned sideways (fem.)

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Nachlass Gustav Klimt, Wien (1918); (1)
Helene Donner, Wien (o.D.);
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (1957-1994); (2)
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Wien (1994).

  1. Nachlass-Stempel »GUSTAV / KLIMT / NACHLASS« vorne rechts unten
  2. Sonja Niederacher, Dossier zu Gustav Klimt. 26 Zeichnungen aus dem Eigentum von Helene Donner, 31.01.2018; Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Katalog zu: Gustav Klimt. 1862-1918. Zeichnungen, Gedächtnisausstellung 16. Oktober bis 16. Dezember 1962, Wien 1962, Nr. 177

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Search in collection

semi-nudewoman/girllying figure (fem.)backhead turned sideways (fem.)