Gustav Klimt:
Head study for the left figure of the ceiling painting ‘The Dance’ (1885) – Kopfstudie für die linke Figur des Deckenbildes ‘Der Tanz’ – Gustav Klimt
black chalk
44.5 x 25.5 cm
Private collection
(Strobl s132)

The “Künstler Kompagnie” (the artists’ company), consisting of Gustav and Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch, was commissioned to create four paintings for the Municipal Theatre in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary). Klimt painted ‘Dance’ in 1885. Alice Strobl, a Klimt scholar, collected all known drawings and studies in four volumes called ‘Die Zeichnungen’. One of the notable drawings Klimt made in 1885 is called “Head study for the left figure of the ceiling painting ‘The Dance’” (“Kopfstudie für die linke Figur des Deckenbildes ‘Der Tanz’” in German). This study shows the meticulous process Klimt used to prepare for his larger works. The drawing captures the delicate features and expressive eyes of the young woman, highlighting Klimt’s skill in rendering human emotion and form. This head study, like many of his preparatory works, provides insight into Klimt’s attention to detail and his commitment to achieving a lifelike yet idealized depiction in his final pieces.