What the painting shows

Portrait of a Lady with Cape and Hat by Klimt presents a woman clad in deep black tones against a hazy, vertical background. She wears a wide, ruffled cape that envelopes her shoulders, paired with an elaborate dark hat trimmed with soft feather-like textures. Her pale face angles toward you with a steady gaze, lit softly from the front.

In this piece, Klimt relies on subtle contrasts rather than vivid color or gold leaf. The rich black chalk forms a solid silhouette across the lower half of the composition, while delicate strokes define the contours of her eyes, nose and lips. Near the bottom right, you can see Klimt’s printed signature in capital letters.

The story behind it

Klimt created this drawing between 1897 and 1898 using black chalk and red chalk on paper. The work belongs to his collection of drawings and portraits from the late nineteenth century.

Where to see it

You can see Portrait of a Lady with Cape and Hat at the Albertina in Vienna. The museum maintains the original sheet within its collection of works on paper.

Choosing a print

Prints are printed and shipped by ArtsyWall in Premium Canvas, Framed Canvas and Archival Paper.

Archival Paper is an ideal match for this work because it reflects the original drawing medium of chalk on paper. The smooth matte texture lets the fine chalk marks across the face and the tonal shifts in the background stand out clearly.

Framed Canvas brings structured borders to the sweeping black cape. You can select wood floating frames in black, white, gold, silver, walnut or oak to balance the subdued monochrome palette in your room.

Premium Canvas provides an unframed gallery wrap. The heavy dark tones of the cape extend around the edges, creating a bold, focused display on your wall.