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What the painting shows
The Fur Collar by Klimt shows a woman bundled against the cold in a voluminous dark wrap. Surviving black and white photographs record her pose, though they leave the original colors unknown. You see a pale, slender figure who turns her head over her shoulder to gaze toward the viewer.
Her curly hair frames her face, and her dark lips and arched eyebrows stand out against her skin. Around her neck rests a heavy, dark collar of fur that covers most of her upper torso. Below it, a lighter garment shows delicate folds and geometric patterns. One pale hand with slender fingers rises up, touching the dark fur beneath her chin. Behind her, Klimt filled the background with dense, dark shapes and indistinct patterns.
The story behind it
Klimt painted this work in 1916, during the later part of his career. It is also known by its German title, Der Pelzkragen. The piece belongs among the expressive portraits that the artist produced in Vienna during this period. The composition keeps your attention close to the subject by framing her head and hands against the heavy winter fabric.
What happened to it
The Fur Collar is lost, and its whereabouts are unknown. No public records track where the canvas went after its creation, and it has disappeared from view. Only photographic documentation preserves the composition today. You can compare this missing piece with documented works in our index of Klimt paintings.
Questions about The Fur Collar
When did Klimt paint The Fur Collar?
Gustav Klimt painted The Fur Collar in 1916. Also known under its German title, Der Pelzkragen, the painting was completed during the final years of Klimt's life in Vienna. Because the original work has disappeared, art historians rely on photographic records from the period to study how the composition developed in his late career.
What happened to The Fur Collar by Klimt?
The Fur Collar by Gustav Klimt is lost, and its exact location remains unknown. Historians do not have surviving records showing who acquired the painting or if it survived the twentieth century. Modern viewers can see the artwork only through vintage black and white photographs that documented the composition before it vanished from the public record.
