Klimt's Studies for Female Portraits (c. 1904–05)

In the studies drawn around 1904, Klimt's breakthrough in geometric design found a clear expression.

In this drawing, the calm balance of the effectively separated areas dominates.

The empty triangular shape of the boisterous armrest acts as a barrier between the viewer and the figure who is raised to the level of aristocracy.

Within the contours, Klimt uses subtle and carefully distributed lines to detail the vertically falling boa, her geometrically stylized hands resting on her lap, and the folds of her clothing.

The finely rhythmic structure of the neck jewelry brightly highlights her face. Her visual contact with the viewer is limited to one eye, and her mouth opens slightly as if she is about to speak.

For this purpose, Klimt repeatedly used a method which was characteristic for him: he fixed the centrally placed figure in the plane by having it extend beyond the upper and lower edges of the page. This self-imposed dictate of the boundaries of the sheet became the prerequisite for a free unfolding of the lines with which he tried to capture the overall appearance and therefore as many aspects of her as possible.

The studies for the portrait of Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein mark a transition in terms of Klimt's development of his drawing technique. By 1904, the artist gradually changed from black chalk to pencil. At the same time, the brownish packing paper used since 1897/98 gave way to a shiny, larger type of paper imported from Japan.

This drawing belongs to a group of studies for a portrait of Magda Mautner von Markhof which was never executed.

The young woman who was friends with Klimt is neither majestically elevated nor anchored unshakably in the plane. This study seems to have been created in a casual atmosphere.

The ruffles of her broadly falling dress surround her in harmoniously structured layers. And the curved backrest of the chair rounds off her self-contained appearance.