What the painting shows

Portrait of Johanna Staude by Klimt presents a striking bust-length portrait of a woman looking directly at the viewer against a textured mandarin orange background. The sitter wears a voluminous patterned blouse rendered in vivid turquoise, deep blue, violet, and black brushstrokes. Around her neck sits a thick, bushy collar of black feathers. Her dark hair is styled in short waves, framing a pale face with grey-green eyes, dark eyebrows, and soft, parted lips.

The textile pattern on her blouse comes from the ‘Blätter’ (Leaves) fabric designed by Wiener Werkstätte artist Martha Alber. The stark color contrast between the bright turquoise of the fabric and the warm orange backdrop recalls French Fauvism and German Expressionism. Unlike many of Klimt’s earlier portraits, the figure does not dissolve into the ornamental field behind her. The clear separation gives Staude an autonomous physical presence.

The painting remains unfinished, particularly around her mouth. Erich Lederer recounted that when Staude asked Klimt why her mouth was incomplete, the artist replied, ‘Because then you will never come to the studio again.’ Critics and art historians view her expression in different ways. John Collins noted an uncertain look in her eyes and slightly tilted head, conveying melancholy or resignation to wartime Vienna. Author Nathaniel Harris observed that Staude appears grave or sad compared to other late sitters. Others, including the Financial Times, describe her as a self-aware, confident modern woman who stares out boldly.

Who the sitter was

Johanna Staude was born Johanna Widlicka in Vienna on 16 February 1883. She grew up in an artistic family: her brothers Leopold and Anton were academic painters, and her brother Richard was an opera singer. She married Franz Staude in 1914, but the couple divorced in 1918.

Staude gave her occupation as a language teacher and later described herself as a painter, though no artworks by her hand are known to exist. She worked as a housekeeper for the Austrian poet Peter Altenberg, a close member of Klimt’s circle of friends. Altenberg held her in high regard, calling her a ‘modern saint’ for caring for him during his final year of life. After Klimt died in February 1918, Altenberg inscribed a eulogy on a drawing Klimt had made of Staude.

Klimt received the commission to paint Staude in 1917. In the early 1960s, Staude stated that she had modeled for both Klimt and Egon Schiele, though specific works beyond this portrait remain unverified. Art historians frequently compare her appearance to the woman in Klimt’s painting Lady with a Fan, and she may have posed nude for a preparatory study for The Girlfriends. Later in life, she entered a hospital in Vienna, where she died on 2 July 1967.

Where to see it

Portrait of Johanna Staude is in the permanent collection of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Vienna. The museum acquired the 70 by 50 centimeter oil on canvas painting in 1963. If you are planning an art trip, our guide on where to see Klimt explains how the Belvedere houses the world’s most significant collection of his oil paintings. You can also explore our complete index of paintings to see other late works created before his death in 1918.

Choosing a print

Prints of this portrait are printed and shipped by ArtsyWall in three formats: Premium Canvas, Framed Canvas, and Archival Paper.

• Framed Canvas: A wood floating frame adds polish and structure around the vivid contrast between the turquoise blouse and orange background. A black frame matches the dark feather collar and short hair, while an oak or walnut frame grounds the warm background.
• Premium Canvas: Hand-stretched over solid wood bars without an outer frame, this format leaves the edges clean. The textured canvas surface reflects the energetic, visible brushstrokes of the original oil paint.
• Archival Paper: Heavyweight 340gsm cotton rag paper brings out the delicate linework in Staude’s features and the graphic details of the Wiener Werkstätte leaf pattern.