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Gustav Klimt's drawings include many horizontal sheets in which full-length reclining models span the entire width of the paper. This style of portrayal essentially originated from the many studies that Klimt created in the context of his oblong format painting “Water Serpents II” (1904-1907). In this major work of the Golden Style, the naked female figures gliding across the picture evoke a colourful, erotically playful underwater world. The drawing presented here was created in 1905/06 in connection with the second version of the painting known today. The numerous nude drawings that accompanied the two phases of work on “Water Serpents II” have an autonomous character. Sometimes the drawn and the painted figures stand in contrast to one another, as in this case.

The study of a model lying prone reflects the position of the lower “water serpent” flowing along face-down in the painting, yet at the same time reveals the contrast between the fragile limbs of the drawn model and the sensually luminous, athletic body of the painted figure. And whereas the latter seductively gazes from the picture – here the half-open, red lips are particularly striking – the drawing discloses a mysteriously reserved facial expression. The dreamy mood and the almost watery transparency of this picture are largely due to the subtle use of the blue pencil. The fine folds of the patterned background wash around the reclining figure like waves, making the prostrate body appear even more slender – the rhythmic curves of the legs, buttocks and back delineate the upper border. In his drawings, Klimt repeatedly immersed himself in the tension between passive reclining and a seemingly endless flow, combined with an endeavour to capture the essence of a multitude of erotically charged moods. Both tendencies combine to achieve an outstanding result in this work.
(Marian Bisanz-Prakken, 2023)