Gustav Klimt:
Water Serpents I (Wasserschlangen I), 1904–1907
Pencil on parchment with watercolor and body color, enhanced with silver gilt, bronze gilt, and gold
50 × 20 cm
© Belvedere, Vienna
(Natter No. 163)

This artwork is sometimes called Girlfriends because of how the figures are shown—some people see it as hinting at a romantic or lesbian relationship. That idea came much later, though. During Klimt’s time, it wasn’t part of how the painting was understood.

Klimt was a key figure in the Vienna Secession, a group of artists who wanted to break away from old-fashioned styles. He was known for mixing beauty, symbolism, and sensuality in his work. Water Serpents I is a good example of that—he often painted women in dreamlike settings, surrounded by flowing shapes and rich colors.

The painting is quite small, and many images online don’t show the full piece. It’s often posted as a rectangle, but the original has a rounded top, so part of it gets cut off. Also, it’s not a traditional oil painting—it’s done on parchment with pencil and watercolor, plus metallic accents.

There are lots of sketches and early versions of this work. Klimt had the composition mostly ready by 1904 but kept adjusting it over the next few years. I’ll try to share one of those earlier versions later.

The water and serpents in the painting add to its dreamy, mysterious feel. Klimt used these elements to suggest movement, transformation, and emotion—things he often explored through female figures.

He returned to this theme in Water Serpents II, a larger and more detailed piece that continues the idea of women in flowing, underwater scenes. Both works are often discussed together.

Strobl mentioned other paintings that may have influenced Water Serpents I, but I’ll save that for another post.