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The Virgin as a print, in a room
What the painting shows
The Virgin by Klimt, also called The Maiden, portrays a central figure sleeping peacefully in a blue and purple patterned gown. Six interlacing women curve around her in a dense, cyclical mound against a dark background. Pale limbs, bare shoulders, and peaceful faces tangle together across the canvas, surrounded by bright patches of fabric and ribbons.
The gown covering the lower body of the central figure features blue and purple spirals, scattered orange blossoms, and concentric black ovals. Abundant flowers fill the spaces between the figures, linking the piece to other Klimt works featuring flowers and gardens. Along the edges, colorful fabrics in green, yellow, pink, and red fold across the reclining bodies.
The story behind it
Gustav Klimt painted The Virgin in 1912–1913, and it was one of the last paintings he completed before he died. The composition touches upon human life themes such as love, sexuality, and regeneration, arranging the bodies in a cyclical shape. As one of Klimt’s symbolic allegories, each of the six interlacing women represents a specific life stage.
The abundant flowers throughout the arrangement symbolize the evolution into womanhood. Art historians also read the blue and purple spirals on the gown as metaphorical symbols of fertility, continual change, and the evolution of the universe.
Where to see it
You can see the original painting in Prague, Czech Republic, where it is part of the collection of the National Gallery Prague. It is displayed at the Trade Fair Palace. Klimt completed the work in oil on canvas, measuring 190 by 200 centimeters.
Choosing a print
Prints are printed and shipped by ArtsyWall in three formats: Premium Canvas, Framed Canvas, and Archival Paper.
Premium Canvas presents the image stretched over wooden bars without an outer frame, allowing the colorful cluster of figures to stand out against your wall. Framed Canvas places the canvas inside a floating wood frame, adding clean borders around the deep blue and purple gown. Archival Paper offers a textured cotton surface that captures the delicate linework of the faces, limbs, and floral patterns.
Details of The Virgin
Questions about The Virgin
What does The Virgin by Klimt show?
The Virgin by Klimt depicts a sleeping central figure dressed in a blue gown surrounded by six interlacing women against a dark background. Each of the six women represents a specific life stage. The figures rest amid colorful swirls and abundant flowers that symbolize the evolution into womanhood.
Where is The Virgin by Klimt?
The Virgin by Klimt is in the collection of the National Gallery Prague in Prague, Czech Republic. Specifically, Wikidata records the painting at the Trade Fair Palace. Austrian artist Gustav Klimt completed the oil on canvas between 1912 and 1913, making it one of his late works.
