Lady at the Fireplace

Klimt demonstrates for the first time an astonishing closeness in this portrait to portraits of international symbolism, such as those of American-born and London-based painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler. A characteristic feature of these symbolist portraits is a certain mysticism, created, among other things, by a dimly lit atmosphere and blurred outlines. Klimt's portrait of a seated lady in profile is not a precise reproduction of a portrait, due to its shaded color tones and shapes with contours that can only be assumed and are more reminiscent of cloudy structures. Instead, the intention with this portrait seems to be to create a particular mood and atmosphere. The painter barely characterizes the model at all; rather, he leaves her in her unclear anonymity, showing her as a fashionably dressed and elegant person. The contrast between this pastel-like portrait of the late 1890s and the supernatural photo-realistic portraits the master artist created in the mid-1890s shows the versatility of Klimt's painting style within just a few years.