Select the painting to see it full screen and zoom in.
What the painting shows
In Expectation by Klimt, you see a lone woman standing in profile against a field of spiraling branches. Her body turns sideways, wrapped in a stiff robe covered with gold triangles, stylized eye shapes, and horizontal stripes of blue, green, silver, and white. She lifts her hands beside her dark hair, which is crowned with a gold headdress decorated with square motifs and small hanging ornaments. Pale bracelets and rings encircle her wrists and fingers.
Behind the figure, the branches of the Tree of Life curl in repeating spirals across the warm background. Small geometric perches rest on several branches, and stylized floral shapes scatter across the ground at her feet. Square grid lines remain visible on the paper surface from Klimt’s design layout.
The story behind it
Klimt created this full-scale mixed media cartoon between 1910 and 1911 during his gold period. It functioned as a preparatory cartoon for the Stoclet Frieze, designed for the dining room of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels.
The overall frieze murals depict a swirling Tree of Life, this standing female figure representing Expectation, and an embracing couple representing Fulfilment. Between the representations of Expectation and Fulfilment, a smaller geometric panel featuring the Golden Knight stands on the short wall. The composition forms an allegorical decorative design.
Where to see it
You can see Expectation in Vienna at the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts). The museum holds the original mixed media paper cartoon, which measures 193.5 by 115 centimeters.
Details of Expectation
Questions about Expectation
What does Expectation by Klimt show?
Expectation by Klimt depicts an allegorical standing woman dressed in an elaborate patterned gown, set beside the curling branches of the Tree of Life. Her dark hair is adorned with a golden headdress, and she holds her hands high near her face. The figure wears a dress covered in triangular segments, decorative eyes, and colorful horizontal stripes, while ornamental spirals spread across the entire background.
Where is Expectation by Klimt?
Expectation by Klimt is in the collection of the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) in Vienna. Klimt executed this mixed media cartoon on paper between 1910 and 1911 as part of his designs for the Stoclet Frieze at the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. Today, the 193.5 by 115 centimeter work remains preserved in the Vienna museum.
