Female Figure

Our Figura femenina (Female Figure) is one of the typical drawings that Klimt would make when he was beginning to work on a portrait, a theme that occupied large part of his oeuvre. Our drawing presents a seated figure, her torso erect and her head slightly turned to the right, looking directly at the viewer. Her hands are joined on her lap and she holds something in her right hand, perhaps a fan or a small purse. It is interesting to observe that this preparatory drawing presents us with a conclusive vision of the pose and the attitude of the person portrayed, in addition to details of her clothes, and even -to judge by the graphic designs that appear on the seat- invites us to suppose that this is a richly embroidered surface, and it becomes a colorful tapestry. Returning to the figure, the model's light eyes are notable, as is the gesture of her mouth. Her long neck is highlighted in the pose chosen for this portrait, and the artist emphasizes it with a low neckline that appears to have been corrected: a soft line of a higher neckline denounces the pentimento that is destined to generate the basis for the construction of the neck and head. Other changes can be seen in the arms; the right is presented without difficulties and from the first line drawn is the definitive version, while for the left, various lines that pass over repeatedly demonstrate a degree of uncertainty. A similar process takes place with the object that the woman holds in her right hand, whose definition has not yet been achieved. But in spite of these particularities indicated, the drawing appears to be a portrait whose pose was already decided. We believe that this type of solution has surely been the result of careful observation on the part of the artist, possibly realized during a prolonged period of time, allowing him to carry out a finished image.