Seated Nude

Klimt was one of the leaders of the Vienna Secession, an artists' organization founded in 1897 to promote modern art. He became known for his highly stylized compositions, characterized by curvilinear patterns and rich ornamentation. In the more private medium of drawing, he was freer to develop his highly sexualized vision of women. After 1905--the year he resigned from the Secession--the majority of his drawings were devoted to the female nude. In this sheet, the assertiveness of the sitter's pose is underscored by the strong opposition between the vertical lines formed by her legs and forearms on either side of her body and the horizontal ones of her left arm and left thigh. The provocative, open-legged stance of the figure is accentuated by her resolute hand-to-chin gesture.