Gustav Klimt

Private Collection, Austria
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 2000

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down. There are some small flattened creases running across the top and bottom left corners. Apart from light handling marks to all four edges and some overmount staining to all four edges, this work is in good condition.
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Zwei Frauen, liegend belongs to a series of reclining nudes, which Gustav Klimt produced between 1914 and 1915. Although these compelling studies of nudes are not intended to be studies for a particular painting, the theme can be traced back to one of the artist's earlier paintings: Wasserschlangen II of 1904-07, showing a female nude flowing horizontally across the painting's surface (see: F. Novotny & J. Dobai, Gustav Klimt, Salzburg, 1975, no. 140).

The present drawing, however, reflects a development and change in style compared to Klimt's earlier works. The painter's ideal of the female body had obviously changed since the creation of Wasserschlangen II (fig. 1). In Zwei Frauen, liegend, the two figures seem to occupy the entire sheet, which creates an emphasis on the beauty and seductive effect of both models. The smooth lines with which Klimt captured the alluring elegance of the reclining nudes shows his unquestionable ability as one of the most gifted draughtsmen of his time. These drawings 'owe their existence and their inestimable fascination', according to Gustav Glueck, 'to the sheer pleasure the artist took in creating them. There is a complete unity of composition, and the distribution of lines on the sheet is carefully balanced, a factor which further distinguishes these drawings from mere studies for a painting' (G. Glueck, 'Introduction to the Portfolio Gustav Klimt: Zehn Handzeichnungen' in Gustav Klimt - Drawings (exhibition catalogue), Galerie St. Etienne, New York, 1970, p. 10).

Comp: 421D07009_comp
Gustave Klimt, Wasserschlangen II, 1904-07, oil on canvas, Private Collection