Seated Young Girl

In his early work, Klimt’s ambition was to achieve the highest degree of realism, as illustrated in the décor of the Vienna Burgtheater and Kunsthistorisches Museum, and also finding expression in his portraits of the time. In this particular portrait of an elegantly dressed girl, Klimt pushed realism to such an extent that the picture approaches the quality of a photograph. The choice of an extremely small format reinforces this notion. However, the photorealistic effect is achieved solely by painterly techniques. With minute detail barely recognizable to the naked eye, he records the girl’s lively facial expression and gives attention to the sensual rendering of her magnificent and radiant silk dress. In this work, Klimt still celebrated the craft of miniature painting, which he would soon abandon.