Gustav Klimt
Study for Portrait of Adèle Bloch‑Bauer (Studie zu „Bildnis der Adele Bloch‑Bauer), 1907
Black chalk on Japan‑like paper
44.8 × 31.6 cm (17 5/8 × 12 ½ in.)
Auctioned at Christie’s in 2017 for EUR 218,500
(Strobl s3521)

This drawing belongs to a vast group of over one hundred preparatory works Klimt created over a four-year period. They all led up to his famous golden portrait from 1907, which is now in the Neue Galerie in New York (Natter 174). Adèle Bloch‑Bauer was a prominent figure in Viennese society and a key patron of Klimt. Officially, she holds a unique place in his career as the only model he painted in two separate oil portraits, with a second one following in 1912.

However, many art historians suspect she may have stepped in front of his easel even more often—perhaps three times. There is a persistent theory that Adèle was also the unnamed model for Klimt’s highly erotic Judith I. While this was never officially confirmed, the physical similarities are striking, right down to the heavily jeweled, deep choker neckpiece she wears in the painting, which closely resembles a gift Adèle received from her husband.

As a study, this specific sheet was never intended for the art market. It was purely a private exercise for Klimt—a way to practice, experiment, and try out different angles. Klimt used these drawings to search for the perfect form before committing his ideas to canvas. During these intense sessions, Adèle spent hours posing in Klimt’s studio, surrounded by his sketches and exotic props.

Their long, close collaboration and her striking presence in his life fueled persistent rumors in Viennese society about a possible romantic relationship between the artist and his model. While these rumors were never officially proven, the raw intimacy and sensitivity found in these sheets suggest a bond that went far beyond a standard commercial commission.

The financial backbone of these grand projects came from Adèle’s husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy sugar baron who deeply admired Klimt’s work. While Ferdinand funded the monumental oil paintings, the private drawing sessions belonged strictly to the creative dialogue between Klimt and Adèle.

This artwork also connects to the broader cultural world of fin-de-siècle Vienna. Adèle hosted a well-known literary salon in her home, which attracted leading intellectuals of the time, including Stefan Zweig, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, and Arthur Schnitzler. Within this circle, Adèle was far more than just a model; she was both a muse and an intellectual peer to the artists around her.

Technically, working on the delicate, smooth Japan-like paper allowed Klimt to capture subtle nuances that standard European paper could not handle. The soft, clear lines of the chalk capture a moment of quiet concentration from these private studio sessions. It shows how Klimt focused on the essential structure of her posture, long before she was transformed into a golden icon of Viennese modernism.