What the painting shows

Study for Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Seated) by Klimt is a pencil drawing on paper from around 1903. The composition presents the subject facing forward in a front-facing seated position. She props her chin pensively on her right hand, while her left arm extends outward to the side.

Klimt rendered her face with delicate pencil marks, detailing her eyes, nose, and darkened mouth. Behind her head sits a wide headdress or voluminous hairstyle, echoed by the light outline of a chair frame. Her dress features a gathered neckline with ruffled trim, falling into long, rhythmic vertical strokes that suggest flowing fabric.

At the bottom of the sheet, energetic curved lines capture the sweeping hem of the gown. Beneath the swirling folds, the quick shapes of her shoes peek through the floor line. This preparatory sketch illustrates Klimt’s working method in his drawings as he developed ideas for finished oil portraits.

Who the sitter was

The sitter in this work is Adele Bloch-Bauer. Klimt made this sketch as a study for his first painted portrait of her, testing her posture and expression. One of the historical German titles for the sheet describes the exact pose: Sitzend von vorne mit ausgestrecktem linken Arm, das Kinn aufgestützt.

Where to see it

Study for Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Seated) is preserved in a private collection. Because an individual owner holds the original sheet rather than a public art museum, the drawing is not on regular display.