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Reclining Female Semi-Nude from the Right with Raised Dress. Study for Water Snakes II, 2nd Version. Reproduced in Lucian’s Dialogues of the Courtesans, 1905/06

Leopold Museum,
Vienna
Pencil on Japanese paper
34.9×55 cm

Artists

  • Gustav Klimt

    (Baumgarten near Vienna/Vienna 1862–1918 Vienna)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
This work on paper is associated with numerous drawings of reclining female nudes which Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) created for the 1906/07 second version of his painting Water Snakes II. The body of the nude lying on her back shows a slightly arched curvature which seems to anticipate the undulating movement conveyed by the executed painting. Owing to its detailed composition, the work far exceeds a mere preparatory study. The great precision with which the artist rendered the partly shaded contours and captured the shapes in a nearly relief-like manner on paper, as well as the distinct features of the model smiling with her eyes closed, make the drawing appear as an autonomous artwork. The fact that Klimt wrote the correction “head too large” directly in the work above the head of the depicted, however, invests it with the character of a study. The drawing was nevertheless included in the 1907 publication Lucian’s Dialogues of the Courtesans. Along with this study, the Leopold Museum owns five further studies for the work Water Snakes II: Study for Water Snakes II, Study for Water Snakes II, Study for Water Snakes II, Study for Water Snakes II and Study for Water Snakes II.

FS

Object data

Artist/author
  • Gustav Klimt
Title
Reclining Female Semi-Nude from the Right with Raised Dress. Study for Water Snakes II, 2nd Version. Reproduced in Lucian’s Dialogues of the Courtesans
Date
1905/06
Art movement
Symbolism, Art Nouveau
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
Pencil on Japanese paper
Dimensions
34.9×55 cm
Signature
Designated upper right using pencil: Kopf zu klein [head too small]
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 1314
Inventory access
Contributed to the Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung in 1994
Selection of Reference works
  • Gustav Klimt. Jahrhundertkünstler, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger/Sandra Tretter, Wien 2018 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 22.06.2018–04.11.2018).
  • 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 1904-1912, Salzburg 1982.
Catalogue raisonne
  • Strobl Bd. 2/1982: 1470
Keywords
semi-nudewoman/girllying figure (fem.)both legs straight (fem.)eyes closed

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Auktion: 28.11.1972, Wolfgang Ketterer München, Auktion Nr. 8, Kat. Nr. 604
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (1972-1994); (1)
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Wien (1994);

  1. Sonja Niederacher, Gustav Klimt. Liegender weiblicher Halbakt nach rechts mit hochgeschobenem Gewand. Studie zu „Wasserschlangen II“, 2. Zustand. 1905/06. Dossier vom 31.01.2018

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Search in collection

semi-nudewoman/girllying figure (fem.)both legs straight (fem.)eyes closed