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What the painting shows
Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm by Klimt is an original figure study executed in black chalk on paper. The sheet shows a full-length nude female figure leaning backward in a drifting posture. Her torso curves toward the left edge, while her head tilts back and her arm extends upward across the right side of the paper.
Klimt outlined the silhouette with light, sweeping strokes before building depth through directional pencil marks. Fine vertical hatching covers her chest, stomach, and thighs to indicate shadow and physical volume. Her legs extend down toward the bottom of the page, tapering into faint outlines, while the surrounding area remains completely blank.
The story behind it
Klimt drew this piece in 1900–1901, and it is also known under the title Study for Medicine. The drawing forms part of his preparatory work for the University of Vienna ceiling paintings, also referred to as the Faculty Paintings.
This work belongs to Klimt’s extensive body of drawings. Klimt made studies like this one to examine the female form and experiment with physical poses. By sketching the floating figure on paper, he established the posture and flow of lines that he wanted to use in his ceiling project.
Where to see it
Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm is in Vienna, Austria, where it belongs to the collection of the Albertina museum.
Questions about Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm
Where is Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm by Klimt?
Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm by Klimt is located in the Albertina in Vienna. The Austrian museum preserves the original black chalk drawing in its collection. Gustav Klimt produced the work between 1900 and 1901 as a study for Medicine, which belongs to his series of University of Vienna ceiling paintings, also known as the Faculty Paintings.
What is Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm by Klimt made of?
Floating Woman with Outstretched Arm by Klimt is made of black chalk on paper. Klimt used this drawing medium to draft the nude figure between 1900 and 1901. The sheet served as a preparatory study for Medicine, a component of the University of Vienna ceiling paintings, and the finished work remains part of the collection at the Albertina in Vienna.
