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ONLINECOLLECTION

Reclining Female Nude from the Right with Ruff. Study for Water Snakes II, 2nd Version, 1905/06

Leopold Museum,
Vienna
Pencil, red crayon on Japanese paper
37×56.3 cm

Artists

  • Gustav Klimt

    (Baumgarten near Vienna/Vienna 1862–1918 Vienna)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
This work on paper is part of a group of drawings of reclining female nudes which Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) created for the 1906/07 second version of his painting Water Snakes II. The drawing captivates with the high degree of perfection in its execution and the model’s portrait-like features. Alice Strobl associated the face of the reclining figure, whose lips are highlighted with red crayon, with The English Girl captured by Klimt in several portrait drawings, some of which were acquired by Rudolf Leopold (1925–2010). The distinctive ruff – a long ruche-trimmed stole Klimt often used in his renderings – frames the nude also at the side. The work on paper features a block signature curiously placed in such a way that in order to read it, the nude has to be viewed vertically. The work was included in the portfolio of Klimt drawings from the Lederer Collection published by Gilhofer & Ranschburg in 1919. 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.

Object data

Artist/author
  • Gustav Klimt
Title
Reclining Female Nude from the Right with Ruff. Study for Water Snakes II, 2nd Version
Date
1905/06
Art movement
Symbolism, Art Nouveau
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
Pencil, red crayon on Japanese paper
Dimensions
37×56.3 cm
Signature
Signed lower left with pencil: GUSTAV KLIMT; numbered lower left: 1735
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 1319
Inventory access
Contributed to the Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung in 1994
Selection of Reference works
  • Wien 1900. Aufbruch in die Moderne, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger, Wien 2019 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, ab 15.03.2019).
  • 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).
  • Wien 1900. Sammlung Leopold, hrsg. von Diethard Leopold/Peter Weinhäupl, Wien u.a. 2009.
  • Alice Strobl: Gustav Klimt. Die Zeichnungen 1904-1912, Salzburg 1982.
Catalogue raisonne
  • Strobl Bd. 2/1982: 1519
Keywords

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Sammlung Lederer, Györ/Wien (vor 1919); (1)

Während der NS-Zeit sichergestellt und im Depot Salzbergwerk Alt-Aussee eingelagert.
1948 an Erich Lederer übergeben.

Erich Lederer, Genf (ab 1948); (2)
Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt, München (o.D.); (3)
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (vor 1965-1994); (4)
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Wien (1994).

  1. Gilhofer & Ranschburg, Gustav Klimt. Fünfundzwanzig Handzeichnungen, Wien 1919, Tafel 14
  2. Michael Wladika, Dossier „LM Inv. Nr. „1289, 1296, 1319“ vom 31.01.2018, S. 16
  3. Tobias G. Natter / Elisabeth Leopold (Hrsg.), Gustav Klimt. Die Sammlung im Leopold Museum, Ostfildern 2013, S. 227, Nr. Z 26
  4. Alice Strobl, Gustav Klimt. Zeichnungen und Gemälde, Salzburg 1965 (2. Auflage), S. 98, Nr. 19

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