Nine Cartoons for the Execution of a Frieze for the Dining Room of Stoclet House in Brussels: Part 2, Expectation (Dancer)

Expectation, also called “The Dancer“, forms the conclusion of the Tree of Life, just like Fulfillment on the opposite side. For the figure of “The Dancer”, Klimt was strongly influenced by the protagonists of Modern Dance, such as Isadora Duncan, Loïe Fuller, or her Viennese counterpart Grete Wiesenthal. He also obviously borrows inspiration from Egyptian portrayals: apart from her upper body, which is shown en face, the dancer is seen from the side.
Her oriental hand posture emphasizes the decorative headdress which, just as her bracelet, resembles designs of the Wiener Werkstätte.