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What the painting shows
Will-o’-the-Wisps by Klimt presents a night scene filled with floating female figures and drifting sparks of light. On the left, a large, dark mass patterned with fine vertical strokes of purple, blue, and brown sweeps upward across the canvas. Small, glowing white specks drift across this shadowy surface like cold embers.
Along the right side, several pale women emerge from the darkness. Near the top center, a nude figure with bright golden-yellow hair tilts her head back against a swirling aura of green and crimson. Below her, other female faces with dark and auburn hair drift through the space, their pale skin set against deep blues and purples. A face in the lower right corner looks forward with wide eyes, framed by dark waves of hair.
The story behind it
Klimt completed the oil painting in 1903 under the German title Irrlichter. The piece belongs to the group of allegories that he produced during this stage of his career, exploring mythological themes and spectral folklore through the female form. You can compare its subject and palette with other entries in our list of every Klimt painting.
Where to see it
Will-o’-the-Wisps is held in a private collection. It does not belong to a public museum, so it is not on regular display.
Questions about Will-o’-the-Wisps
When did Klimt paint Will-o’-the-Wisps?
Gustav Klimt painted Will-o’-the-Wisps in 1903. Known also by its German title, Irrlichter, the oil painting belongs to the artist's allegorical works from the early twentieth century. Klimt completed the piece during the productive period leading into his golden phase, working on a canvas that measures 52 by 59.5 centimeters.
Who owns Will-o’-the-Wisps by Klimt?
Will-o’-the-Wisps by Gustav Klimt is held in a private collection. Because the 1903 oil painting belongs to an individual owner rather than a public institution, it is not part of a permanent museum display. The work rarely appears on public view, distinguishing it from pieces hanging in major civic galleries.
