What the painting shows

Nuda Veritas by Klimt is an oil and gold canvas from 1899 that presents an allegorical figure of naked truth. Painted on a very tall, narrow vertical format, the composition splits into three distinct horizontal sections. At the top, bold lettering sets out a German quotation credited to Schiller against a solid gold ground.

In the center, a standing nude woman looks outward with a steady, direct gaze. She has pale skin, red hair decorated with white flowers, and holds a round mirror raised in her right hand toward you. Behind her, gold spiral lines curl across a deep blue and violet space, while misty blue waves pool at her feet. A dark snake slithers across the bottom pool, its body crossing downward over the lower border. At the very base, a second gold panel displays the Latin title Nuda Veritas alongside Klimt’s signature.

The story behind it

Klimt first explored this subject as an illustration for the March 1898 issue of the magazine Ver Sacrum. He soon included the figure in his painting Pallas Athena, placing a nude Nuda Veritas holding a mirror in the goddess’s right hand instead of the traditional Nike. In 1899, he revisited the figure on this large, freestanding canvas.

Art historians place the work within Klimt’s symbolic allegories and point to its bright metallic background as an early step toward his gold period. Historians also believe Klimt used this figure of naked truth to denounce the Habsburg monarchy and Austrian society for ignoring political and social problems.

Where to see it

You can see Nuda Veritas in Vienna, Austria. The painting is preserved in the collection of the Theatermuseum, which is also referred to as the Austrian Theatre Museum. It measures 252 by 55.2 cm.