Portraits of Gustav Klimt
Adèle Bloch-Bauer, Emilie Flöge, Sonja Knips, Serena Lederer and the others: behind the gold and the motifs, Klimt's portraits tell the story of the ambitions, networks and fractures of Viennese society.
A social portrait, but never a simple painted photograph
Gustav Klimt's portraits show real people, most often linked to Vienna's economic and cultural elite around 1900. Yet they don't just look for resemblance. Klimt organizes a very precise tension between the face, painted carefully, and the rest of the image, where clothes, armchairs, flowers and backgrounds are transformed into rhythmic surfaces.
This opposition allows the model to be both individual and appearance. The features, hairstyle and hands maintain a psychological presence; ornament builds social rank, modernity and sometimes a form of strangeness. The more Klimt's career progresses, the more this decorative area gains in autonomy.
These works must also be read as commissioned objects. The choice of format, dress, pose and decor depends on a dialogue between painter, model, family and destination interior. An order could require numerous sessions and drawn studies. It involved a high cost, time and a representation strategy.
From the painted living room to the pattern field
Three paintings from the Belvedere allow us to follow the general evolution of Klimt's female portraits: the vaporous material of the late 1890s, the ornamental construction around 1906, then the colorful freedom and incompleteness of recent years.
Sonja Knips: presence and restrained movement
The square format, the cut armchair, the tulle dress dissolved by the touch and the red notebook are already preparing for modernity. Sonja sits at the edge of the seat, as if ready to get up.
Fritza Riedler: portraiture becomes architecture
The armchair draws a geometric halo, the white dress is covered with rhythms and the silhouette is part of an almost frontal space. The face remains calm in the center of a very constructed device.
Johanna Staude: bold color and open work
The blue background, the black and white blouse and the red mouth give a new immediacy. The painting, left unfinished when Klimt died, still shows his process.
Eleven other portraits to compare
The images are presented whole: the length of the silhouettes, the relationship between figure and edge, and the amount of void or ornament are essential to understand the composition.
1899 · WHITE APPEARANCESerena Pulitzer Lederer1899 · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkThe dress rises like a light column. The contours dissolve, but the face and black hair concentrate the gaze.
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1902 · FASHION AND IDENTITYPortrait of Emilie Flöge1902 · Wien Museum, ViennaThe very elongated silhouette and patterned dress connect portrait, clothing reform and decorative design of space.
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1904 · CONTROLLED ELEGANCEPortrait of ermine gallia1904 · National Gallery, LondonThe verticality, the dark shawl and the precision of the hands give the figure an almost ceremonial reserve.
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1905 · WITTGENSTEIN FAMILYPortrait of Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein1905 · Neue Pinakothek, MunichThe white of the dress stands out against a flat architecture. Karl Wittgenstein commissioned the portrait of his daughter Margarethe.
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1912 · AFTER GOLDPortrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer II1912 · Private collectionFive years after the first portrait, Adèle reappears standing in an explosion of flowers and colors, without metallic domination.
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1913 -1914 · PRIMAVESI PATRONAGEPortrait of Eugenia Primavesi1913 -1914 · Toyota Municipal Museum of ArtEugenia, actress and patron, is surrounded by a light floral field. The late color replaces the golden structure of previous years.
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1916 · CROSS PATTERNSPortrait of Friederike Maria Beer1916 · Private collectionThe Asian-inspired garment, background and patterns overlap without canceling the model's determined frontal posture.
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1917 · REDISCOVEREDPortrait of Miss Lieser1917 · Private collectionThe red surface and floral shawl remain partially open. Long known from a black and white photograph, the painting reappeared in 2024.
See reproduction →Ten additional portraits to discover
This second gallery broadens the view beyond the most reproduced icons. It brings together a portrait of a child, a musician, family members, social commissions and several late works that remained unfinished.
1917 -1918 · UNFINISHED WORKPortrait of Amalie Zuckerkandl1917 -1918 · Belvedere, ViennaThe face and upper body are pushed very far, while the background retains open areas. The work allows us to see how Klimt constructed a portrait in stages.
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1917 -1918 · LAST PERIODLady in White1917 -1918 · Belvedere, ViennaThe white dress contrasts with a brightly colored background. Incompletion makes visible the canvas reserves and the progress of the work.
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AROUND 1909 · FASHIONWoman in hat and feather boacirca 1909 · Private collectionBlack hat, boa and close framing focus attention on the face. The painting takes up the codes of worldly portraiture while accentuating the surface.
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1912 -1913 · CHILD PORTRAITMäda Primavesi1912 -1913 · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkThe white dress, the flowers at the back and the very straight pose refuse sentimentality. Mäda Primavesi appears as an autonomous and assured presence.
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1914 · PRIVATE ORDERBaroness Elisabeth Bachofen-Echt1914 · Private collectionA stretched silhouette stands out against a dense decor. The garment no longer only accompanies the model: it becomes one of the driving forces of the composition.
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1901 -1902 · TRANSITIONPortrait of Marie Henneberg1901 -1902 · Private collectionThe portrait of photographer Hugo Henneberg's wife further connects facial naturalism with the atmospheric and decorative effects of the turn of the century.
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1890 · MALE PORTRAITPianist Joseph Pembauer1890 · Academic periodThis youthful portrait recalls Klimt's solid academic training. The face, jacket and professional attitude dominate before the ornamental explosion.
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1917 -1918 · POSTHUMOUS PORTRAITUnfinished portrait of Maria Munk1917 -1918 · Last periodThe figure is part of a floral and colorful field which remains open. The unfinished state reveals hesitations, repetitions and changes in balance.
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1898 · FAMILY OF THE PAINTERPortrait of Helene Klimt1898 · Family portraitKlimt represents his niece Hélène here. Family proximity gives an intimate counterpoint to the great orders of the Viennese bourgeoisie.
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1917 -1918 · ULTIMATE SHINEThe Fan Woman1917 -1918 · Private collectionFan, flowers, birds and flat areas of color envelop the model. The table shows the chromatic freedom achieved at the end of the quarry.
See reproduction →Who ordered a Klimt?
The portraits connect the painter to an industrial, financial and cultural bourgeoisie that supports the Secession, Wiener Werkstätte, new interiors and modern art. The term "Viennese society" therefore covers specific networks.
| Model | Environment and network | What the portrait shows | Collection or history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonja Knips | Born Baroness Potier des Echelles, patron and collector. | A woman ready to stand up, far from the frozen pose of the ceremonial portrait. | Belvedere, Vienna. |
| Serena Pulitzer Lederer | Wife of industrialist August Lederer; couple of great collectors from Klimt. | A slender white apparition, which critics compared to a flower. | Despoiled in 1942, returned to his son in 1948; today at the Met. |
| Emilie Flöge | Fashion designer and co-director of the Schwestern Flöge show. | The dress is not an accessory: it becomes the visual subject as much as the face. | Wien Museum. |
| Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein | Daughter of the industrialist Karl Wittgenstein, sister of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. | An intellectual and social silhouette taken in decorative architecture. | Neue Pinakothek, Munich. |
| Adèle Bloch-Bauer | Family of bankers and industrialists, cultural fair, commissioned by Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. | Two radically different portraits: golden icon in 1907, floral color in 1912. | First portrait at the Neue Galerie; second in private collection. |
| Primavesi family | Banking, industry, theater and support for Wiener Werkstätte. | Eugenia and her daughter Mäda embody a commission where fashion, youth and modern decor come together. | Eugenia to Toyota; Mäda at the Met. |
| Johanna Staude | Linked to the circles of Viennese fashion and modernity. | Close framing and a graphic blouse that announce a new freedom. | Belvedere, unfinished painting. |
| "Miss Lieser" | A young woman from the Lieser family; the exact identity remains debated. | A final colorful portrait of which some areas have not been completed. | Sale im Kinsky, 2024, after agreement with rights holders. |
How to read patterns without losing the pattern
In Klimt, ornament does not fill an empty background. It organizes the rank, movement and relationship between the body and the surface of the painting.
The face as an anchor
Eyes, mouth, complexion and hairstyle retain the resemblance. The more abstract the decor becomes, the more this small realistic area bears the identity.
Hands as a social sign
They can be joined, crossed, pressed or almost hidden. Their design reflects maintenance, tension and presentation codes.
Dress as territory
Clothing enlarges the body and blurs its limit. Flowers, spirals, checkerboards and flat areas bring the figure of fashion into the image.
The active fund
It can become wall, fabric, mosaic or atmosphere. Its reduced depth brings the model closer to the viewer while enclosing it in a construction.
Gold is not everywhere
The fame of Adèle I should not make people believe that all portraits are golden. Vaporous whites, floral backgrounds and bold colors dominate other periods.
The format decides
Sonja Knips' square, Emilie or Serena's very high verticals and late close frames produce different presences.
Emilie Flöge is not just a "muse"
Emilie Flöge runs a fashion show in Vienna with her sisters Pauline and Helene. It participates in a culture where clothing, furniture, graphics and architecture must form a coherent environment. The reform dress, freer than corseted silhouettes, becomes a space for experimentation.
His 1902 portrait is exceptionally tall and narrow. The silhouette appears almost weightless, absorbed by a blue, green, gold and purple network. The face remains precise, while the dress behaves like an autonomous surface.
The relationship between Flöge and Klimt was long and central. The sources describe a deep closeness and shared interests, but we must avoid transforming every biographical detail into romantic certainty. Above all, the Attersee photographs show a lasting complicity within a family and creative circle.
The painting and the photograph do not say the same thing
The photograph shows a designer wearing her clothes in a real environment. The painted portrait changes scale: the dress almost becomes architecture, and the model is part of a total decorative vision.
See the portrait of Emilie FlögeThe models and the painter facing the camera
These period photographs are not used to judge the "resemblance" as if the painting were a mechanical copy. Rather, they show how people presented themselves, dressed, and occupied social space outside of Klimt's workshop.
The photograph restores a real face, hairstyle and social presence. The 1907 painting transforms this person into a golden icon without removing individuality from the gaze and hands.
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Ferdinand Schmutzer photographed it two years before Klimt's portrait. Comparing the two images reveals the role of pose, clothing and the environment in the public construction of an identity.
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The painter's loose blouse and informal image contrast with the calculated staging of his models. This photograph also reminds us that the workshop was a place of work, objects, fabrics and daily life.
Source and original file →Three stories that change reading
A provenance is not a simple list of owners. It makes it possible to reconstruct the movements of the work, the spoliations, the restitutions and the areas of uncertainty.
From the Viennese home to the Neue Galerie
The portrait belonged to Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. After the Anschluss of 1938, works by the family were seized by the Nazis. Adèle's name was gradually hidden behind the name "Golden Lady".
Maria Altmann, Adèle's niece, led a long legal battle. The five Klimts concerned were returned to the heirs in 2006. Ronald S. Lauder then acquired the first portrait for the Neue Galerie in New York.
File of the Neue Galerie →A scattered family collection
Serena and August Lederer constituted one of Klimt's most important private collections. Serena's portrait was seized by the Nazis in Vienna in 1942.
The Met indicates that it was returned to the model's son, in Geneva, in 1948. This trajectory reminds us that the elegant whiteness of the image cannot be separated from the history of the family and the dispersion of its collection.
Instructions and origin of the Met →A reappearance and open questions
Long known only from black and white photography, the portrait reappeared in Austria and was sold in Vienna in April 2024 for 30 million euros.
The exact identity of the model and certain passages of provenance remain discussed. The sale was organized for the owners and beneficiaries of the Lieser families according to an agreement referring to the Washington principles.
Sales file im Kinsky →A journey from Vienna to New York
The hangings change. Always check the work instructions and the museum visit page before traveling.
| Museum | Portraits to look for | Why go there | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belvedere, Vienna | Sonja Knips, Fritza Riedler, Johanna Staude, Amalie Zuckerkandl. | Best set to follow the evolution of Klimt's female portraits. | Klimt Collection |
| Wien Museum | Emilie Flöge, 1902. | Connecting the portrait to the history of the Viennese city, fashion and modernity. | Official notice |
| Neue Galerie, New York | Adèle Bloch-Bauer I. | View gold, silver and surface details, then understand the restitution file. | Woman in Gold |
| Metropolitan Museum, New York | Serena Pulitzer Lederer and Mäda Primavesi. | Compare an 1899 white apparition to a colorful child portrait from 1912 -1913. | Serena Lederer |
| Neue Pinakothek, Munich | Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein. | Study the tension between individuality, Wiener Werkstätte dress and background architecture. | Official notice |
| National Gallery, London | Hermine Gallia. | Observe a commission from 1904 where the white dress, the boa and the carpet announce the Byzantine style to come. | Official notice |
Extend by portrait, period or motif
Female and male models, completed works and final portraits.
Explore →TWO PORTRAITSAdèle Bloch-BauerCompare the golden icon from 1907 and the floral portrait from 1912.
Explore →GOLD AND MOSAICThe golden periodPortraits, allegories and precious surfaces around the 1900s.
Explore →ALL WORKGustav KlimtPortraits, landscapes, gardens, allegories and large decorative motifs.
Explore →MUSEUM COLLECTIONBelvedere of ViennaKlimt and the major works of Austrian modernity.
Explore →FIGURE AND SYMBOLJudith of KlimtAnother way of thinking about the face, gold and ambivalence of the model.
Explore →Notices and files to consult
These references make it possible to verify dates, dimensions, collections, identities and origins. Works in private collections require more documentary caution.
Sonja Knips, Fritza Riedler, Johanna Staude and the evolution of female portraiture.
NEW YORKNeue Galerie · Adèle Bloch-Bauer ITechnique, context, Nazi seizure, restitution and acquisition of 2006.
NEW YORKMet · Serena LedererNotice, Lederer collection, seizure from 1942 and return to the family in 1948.
MUNICHPinakothek · Margarethe WittgensteinFamily order, dress, composition and current collection.
VIENNAWien Museum · Emilie FlögeOfficial notice of the portrait from 1902 and place in the municipal collection.
SALE 2024im Kinsky · Miss LieserRediscovery, studies, state of incompleteness, sales agreement and result.
Eight questions about Klimt's portraits
Who are the women painted by Gustav Klimt?
Many are identified people from the Viennese bourgeoisie and cultural circles: Adèle Bloch-Bauer, Sonja Knips, Serena Lederer, Emilie Flöge, Fritza Riedler, Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein, Eugenia Primavesi and others. Some identities remain debated.
Why are Klimt's portraits so decorative?
Klimt treats clothing and backgrounds as active surfaces. The ornament builds the social presence of the model, organizes the composition and creates tension with the realism of the face and hands.
Do all Klimt portraits use gold?
No. Gold especially dominates certain works from the "golden period", including Adèle Bloch-Bauer I. Other portraits are based on white, flowers, blue or bold colors without metal.
What is the relationship between Klimt and Emilie Flöge?
They had a very close personal and creative relationship for many years. Flöge was a major entrepreneur and fashion designer, not just a model. The exact nature of their intimacy should not be transformed into certainty without proof.
Why is Adèle Bloch-Bauer I called "The Golden Lady"?
This nickname comes from its extraordinary golden surface. After the Nazi seizure, Adèle's name was also erased from the presentation of the work. The story of restitution restored the identity of the model to the center of the painting.
Is Miss Lieser's portrait finished?
No. Klimt died in 1918 before completing certain areas. The red background and several patterns reveal the work process and freedom of his last period.
Where to see the most portraits of Klimt in Vienna?
The Belvedere allows you to compare Sonja Knips, Fritza Riedler and Johanna Staude. The Wien Museum preserves the large portrait of Emilie Flöge. Check the hanging before visiting.
How to recognize a good reproduction of a portrait of Klimt?
It must respect proportions, show the entire work, differentiate the precision of the face from the variety of patterns and avoid uniform gold. Hands, dress contours and background transitions are revealing areas.
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