Pencil on wove paper Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) - Major Austrian painter and one of the main representatives of Viennese Art Nouveau Stamp of Gustav Klimt estate lower right; moreover, inscribed in ink ‘Nachlass meines Bruder Gustav Hermine Klimt’ [Estate of my brother Gustav Hermine Klimt] Sheet dimensions: 57 x 37.5 cm Matted behind glass in hand-decorated Art Nouveau frame: 77 x 62 cm Provenance: Grisebach auction 118, Lot 124, June 12, 2004 (label on the reverse of the mat) According to Dr. Marian Bisanz-Prakken (Albertina, Vienna), the work will be published in the forthcoming supplementary volume of the catalogue raisonné of Gustav Klimts drawings. The work was created in context with the preparatory studies for the painting “The Girlfriends” in 1916/17. Gustav Klimt is considered one of the most popular and controversial artists of the turn of the century. His female portraits were highly sought-after for their erotic quality by Austrian collectors of his time; however, his works were dismissed as mere decorative paintings by German art critics in the first half of the 20th century. Only later, the flatness and ornamental abstraction of his representations have been recognized essential for the development of modern painting. Condition: The sheet has been mounted under a mat to the upper margin. It is slightly discolored, showing minor soiling and fingermarks. In addition, the paper has several major creases. The reverse bears traces from a former mounting. The frame is minimally worn. Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) Born as the son of the Bohemian gold engraver Ernst Klimt in Vienna, Gustav Klimt studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule des k.k. Österreichischen Museums für Kunst und Industrie under Ferdinand Laufberger, Victor Berger, Ludwig Minnigerode, Karl Hrachowina, and Michael Rieser from 1876 to 1883. In the 1880s, he established a joined studio along with his brother Ernst, as well as with Frantz Matsch, creating primarily designs for curtains and ceiling paintings for theaters and staircases. In 1891, he became a member of the Vienna Künstlerhaus, from which he resigned in 1897, becoming a member and president of the Vienna Secession that exhibited around 80 of his works in 1903. Klimt left the Secession and became a member of the Deutsche Künstlerbund in 1905. From 1907 to 1908, he created his probably most famous painting, ‘The Kiss’, which was purchased by the k.k. Ministerium of Culture and Education. In addition, the artist is well recorded for his golden backgrounds, which give evidence of a Japanese influence. Klimt’s work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale and the documenta III in Kassel, amongst others. Works of the painter can be found at the Neue Pinakothek Munich, the Vienna Belvedere, the Galerie Neue Meister in Dresden, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, to name just a few. (cko) Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Auctionata charges the resale rights tax pursuant to Section 26 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG) towards the buyer in case of the sale of an original work of art or photography prior to 70 years having lapsed since the death of their creator. Therefore, Auctionata charges when purchasing a good – if a protection as an original work of art or photography is given – starting from a hammer price of EUR 400 an additional amount, which is calculated according to Section 26 (2) German Copyright Act (UrhG) and which does not exceed the amount of EUR 12,500. You can find more information about resale rights tax in Auctionata´s table of fees and T&C. Starting Price : 50000