GUSTAV KLIMT | Zurückgelehnt liegender Frauenakt nach links (Reclining Nude Turned to the Left)

Rudolf Staechelin Collection, Basel
Galerie Würthle, Vienna
Private Collection, United Kingdom (acquired from the above circa 1975-80)
Sale: Bonhams, London, 22nd June 2017, lot 21
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Vienna, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele - Zum Gedächtnis ihres Todes vor 50 Jahren, Zeichnungen und Aquarelle, 1968, no. 44 (titled Liegender weiblicher Akt mit angezogenen Schenkeln)
Darmstadt, Institut Mathildenhöhe, Internationale der Zeichnung: Sonderausstellung Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse, 1970, no. 62 (titled Liegender weiblicher Akt nach rechts, mit angezogenen Schenkeln)
Lucerne, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Kunst in Österreich, 1900-1930, 1974, no. 75 (titled Studie zur 'Danae')
Vienna, Galerie Würthle, Gustav Klimt Zeichnungen, 1978, no. 17
Klagenfurt, Galerie im Stadthaus; Graz, Kulturhaus der Stadt Graz; Salzburg, Museumspavillon im Mirabellgarten; and Linz, Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz, Klimt-Austellungen, 1978, n.n.
Vienna, Galerie Würthle, Wiener Jugendstil aus Privatbesitz, 1983, n.n.
Zurich, M. Knoedler AG, Gustav Klimt 1862 - 1918, Egon Schiele 1890 - 1918, James Ensor 1860 - 1949, Alfred Kubin 1877 - 1959. Künstler der Jahrhundertwende, 1983, no. 2
Tokyo, Tokyu Art Gallery, Gustav Klimt und Egon Schiele mit Werken von Alfred Kubin. Künstler der Jahrhundertwende, 1985, n.n. (& travelling in Japan)

Arnold Krieger, Du in der Welt. Gesammelte Liebesgedichte mit 20 Zeichnungen von Gustav Klimt, Darmstadt, 1974, illustrated p. 139
Alice Strobl, Gustav Klimt. Die Zeichnungen 1878 - 1903, Salzburg, 1980, vol. I, no. 1015, illustrated p. 291

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down and hinged to its mount. The sheet is lightly time-stained with further mount stained marks to the extreme edges, which are not visible when framed. There are some minor flecks of brown visible to the figure's body, which are inherent in the medium. There are some minor spots of foxing, predominantly to the background of the sheet. This work is in overall good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work is one of the most closely related studies for Gustav Klimt’s painting, Danaë, a seminal work for the artist which was executed in 1907 (fig. 1). Displaying Klimt’s mastery of rendering interesting poses, this intimate drawing of 1903 reflects the same pose as Danaë, unlike his other sketches for the painting. The woman has her head and arms tightly tucked into her chest and her thigh is raised high, providing a seductive focal point for the viewer. Klimt employs delicate meandering lines to tenderly depict the form of his slumbering model. The figure of Danaë was the last subject that Klimt would draw from Greek mythology. In the painting, it depicts the moment of Danaë’s impregnation by Zeus, represented by a shower of golden rain that falls from above to between the figure’s legs. According to the myth, the King of the Gods took pity on the princess after her father, the King of Argos, had decided to intern his daughter upon hearing a prophecy that his death would be at the hands of a grandson. Presenting the model unabashedly naked, Klimt infuses the painting with a tangible, almost shocking sensuality. While Danaë was a popular subject during the early 1900s as a symbol for divine love and transcendence, Klimt exploited the opportunity of representing a literary character by pushing the boundaries of sexual representation, while seemingly retaining its acceptability for the Viennese bourgeoisie. In his painting, the undulating contours of her body serve to emphasise the sensual lines of her buttock, thigh and breast, while the clenched hand belies her apparent repose and reveals a moment of arousal, heightened by her slightly parted lips.

In Zurückgelehnt liegender Frauenakt nach links, the sexual charge is more muted and it instead reveals the momentary transience of the woman’s slumbered state. The hand is closed, rather than clenched and the model’s expression appears relaxed as if she is falling asleep.  This work remains an essential study for one of the most important oils within Klimt’s oeuvre; it heralds the artist’s command over the fluidity of line and offers a tantalising insight into the interior of his studio.