What the painting shows

Lady by the Fireplace by Klimt presents a seated woman resting in a dark interior. A warm red glow washes across the wall on the upper left, while the rest of the room recedes into deep brown, charcoal, and black tones.

The woman leans back toward the right side of the composition. She wears dark clothing with textured brushwork across the chest and shoulders, and her pale hands rest loosely together in her lap. Her head turns in profile against a soft background of ochre and cream light, with her facial features sketched in faint, muted contours. In the upper left corner, Klimt added his signature in light gold lettering.

The story behind it

Klimt painted the canvas between 1897 and 1898, a pivotal period of transition in his career. The work is also known by its German title, Dame am Kamin. It belongs to Klimt’s wider series of female portraits, painted using oil on canvas and measuring 41 by 66 centimeters.

Where to see it

You can see Lady by the Fireplace in the permanent collection of the Belvedere in Vienna. If you plan a trip to see Klimt’s work in Austria, consult our guide on where to see Klimt paintings.