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Dimensions: 56 by 37cm., 22 by 14 1/2 in.

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Provenance: Emilie Flöge, Vienna
Richard Teschner, Vienna (probably acquired from the above; until 1948)
Acquired from the estate of the above by the present owner in 1953

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Literature: Emil Pirchan, Gustav Klimt, ein Künstler aus Wien, Vienna & Leipzig, 1942, no. 94, illustrated
Emil Pirchan, Gustav Klimt, Vienna, 1956, no. 135, illustrated
Lo Duca, Eros in der Kunst, Munich, Vienna & Basel, 1968, illustrated p. 195
Alice Strobl, Gustav Klimt, Die Zeichnungen 1904-1912, Salzburg, 1982, no. 1613, illustrated pp. 111 & 125

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Notes: PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AUSTRIAN COLLECTION
Stehender Halbakt mit langen Haaren, Halsband, die linke Hand an der Schulter belongs to a series of works depicting female nudes mostly in striding poses which Klimt executed in 1906-07. The female's figure is silhouetted in soft red outlines, her left hand elegantly posed on the shoulder. The fashionable necklace and her full flowing hair brilliantly accessorise the model's lasciviously erotic pose and effectively accentuate her eyes, whilst the delicacy and suppleness of execution suggest the artist's emotional and spiritual closeness to the model. Portrayed in profile, the woman's gaze is directed into the distance as if caught in her own act seemingly unaware of being watched. The viewer here does not act as a participant in a process of sexual exploration, but merely as voyeur.

The present work once belonged to Emilie Flöge, the artist's muse and rich source of inspiration and was subsequently acquired by Richard Teschner, a famous photographer at the time, associated with the Wiener Werkstätte and close friend of Gustav Klimt and Emilie Flöge.

FIG. 1, Emilie Flöge photographed by Gustav Klimt as part of a Wiener Werkstätte presentation album, 1904-05