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What the painting shows
Portrait of a Woman by Klimt shows a slender woman standing upright and facing forward. Klimt drew her with light, delicate pencil lines on pale brown paper. She wears a floor-length dress covered by a wide wrap draped across both shoulders.
Dense, swirling circular patterns and floral rose shapes cover the surface of her wrap. Her right hand touches her upper chest near the neckline, while her left hand gathers the fabric against her waist. Her hair is gathered loosely on top of her head. Klimt lightly sketched her feet at the hem, leaving the surrounding background completely empty. A red-brown estate stamp appears in the lower left corner.
The story behind it
Klimt created this sheet around 1910. The work forms part of his wide body of female portraits. Like many of his drawings, it studies posture, contour, and decorative clothing patterns.
The drawing remained in the artist’s studio during his lifetime, marked after his death by the estate stamp reading Gustav Klimt Nachlass. It is cataloged by the National Gallery of Art under accession number NGA 48302.
Where to see it
Portrait of a Woman is in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work measures 57 by 37.5 centimeters.
Questions about Portrait of a Woman
Where is Portrait of a Woman by Klimt?
Portrait of a Woman by Klimt is located in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The Washington museum holds the work in its collection under accession number NGA 48302. Art historians classify the piece as an original drawing from around 1910, reflecting Klimt's work on full-length portrait compositions.
How big is Portrait of a Woman by Klimt?
Portrait of a Woman by Klimt measures 57 centimeters in height and 37.5 centimeters in width. The vertical dimensions give Klimt enough room on the sheet of paper to depict the female figure at full length, from the top of her hair down to her bare feet, while keeping generous empty space across the sides.
