Gustav Klimt Lot n° 715

Gustav Klimt (1862 Baumgarten near Vienna - Vienna 1918) - Kneeling half nude to the left. Blue chalk on buff japon nacré. (1912/13). Approx. 37 x 56 cm. Handwritten inscription "N 16." and "144" verso. Strobl 2335. - A central theme in Klimt's oeuvre is the depiction of the naked and sexually aroused female body - Inspired by Japanese erotic woodcuts, Klimt depicts a strong female figure with just a few strokes - Klimt's progressive attitude towards female sexuality for the time becomes clear in this work "A construction with expressive forms takes place. Like a landscape, a mountain range, these nudes and semi-nudes are spread out." Alice Strobl In 1912 and 1913, Gustav Klimt's work was characterized by the completion of the famous portrait "Adele Bloch-Bauer II" as well as the portraits of Paula Zuckerkandl, Mäda Primavesi and Eugenie Primavesi. Parallel to the final stages of work on the portraits, Klimt was already working on two new motifs: "Danaë" (for which a painting of the same name had already been created ten years earlier) and "Leda". In these allegories, Klimt continued his fantastic compositions on death, life and female sexuality and also revisited mythological themes from the erotic adventures of Zeus, the father of the gods. Stylistically, the mature late works are characterized by colourful, wildly patterned fabrics against monochrome dark backgrounds. Gustav Klimt presented the painting of "Leda", completed in 1916/17, at the "Austrian Art Exhibition" in Stockholm in September 1917 along with 12 other oil paintings. In 1945, it was destroyed in a fire at Immendorf Castle, which was used as an art depot. Klimt's creative process is characterized by the numerous preparatory drawings in which he worked through the figures of his compositions in countless variations. Klimt's focus on the medium of drawing was even more pronounced between 1912 and 1913 than in other periods of his work. It was these works "which Klimt repeatedly showed alongside individual paintings at exhibitions in Germany, and which helped his art achieve a breakthrough there." (Strobl vol. III, p. 45). Klimt's endeavors to capture painterly details were increasingly intensified at this time and he developed an impressive range of variation, particularly in his lines. In the preparatory drawings for the theme of "Leda", "(...) the nudes and semi-nudes unfold both in depth and parallel to the picture. (...) The insular protrusion of some body parts from robes and draperies - already hinted at in 1910 (...) - is heightened by the effects of light, but also by the use of blue and red colored pencils, sometimes also by white heightening. Added to this is a very eloquent body language. States of relaxation can be found as well as depictions of extreme tension." (Strobl vol. III, p. 48). Exhibition: Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele: Dessins et Aquarelles, Salle Saint-Jean, Hôtel de Ville, Paris et al. 1984, cat. no. 23; Gustav Klimt 1862-1918, Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn, New York 1989, no. cat. no; Gustav Klimt: 100 Zeichnungen, Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, Frankfurt/Main and others, 1990-93, cat. no. 52; Gustav Klimt, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence 1991, cat. no. 80; Gustav Klimt, Pałac Sztuki, Krakow 1992, no. cat. no; Hommage à Serge Sabarsky. Klimt. Kokoschka. Schiele. Watercolors and Drawings, Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, Frankfurt/Main 1997, cat. no. 19 Provenance: Franziska (Fanny) Klimt Collection, Vienna, sister-in-law of the artist; Historisches Museum, Vienna, verso with stamp and inv. no. "74930" and handwritten "242"; Serge Sabarsky Collection/Asset, New York, received in exchange from the aforementioned in 1983; Collection/Foundation Vally Sabarsky, New York. Taxation: taxed by difference plus 7% (VAT: Margin Scheme (non EU)).