Mulher Sentada

Mulher Sentada

The artist Gustav Klimt held a collection of pencil on paper sketches that illustrated his signature technique and style. These works were seized upon his death and showcase his planning and preparation before beginning a painting. An array of the artist's ideas and inspirations were found within the pages, as he practiced different styles.

As the sketch is titled, Mulher Sentada, the piece is a drawing by Gustav Klimt in 1916 that illustrates a sensual woman. It is unknown whether the piece is based on a posed model, or perhaps a rendition of Klimt's imagination. The penciled piece manifests a woman with her head arched back as she touched herself between her legs in pleasure. The sketch is an erotic piece by the artist, illustrating the pleasure within the woman.

Gustav Klimt is prominently known for his nude paintings of women who had posed for him, with some work met with criticism as being provocative. However, this sketch is an erotic style for the artist to explore as none of his work showcased private touching in an open manner. Most of Klimt's nude paintings and sketches simply illustrated the beauty and natural form of woman on display. Again, art critics and historians are unaware of whether the sketch is truly of a woman known as Mulher Sentada, or whether the artist had titled piece after an aribrary name.

The sketch illustrates a woman on her back with her legs open, showcasing her private area as she runs her fingers through it. She used her other hand to hold her attire out of the way, perhaps for the viewer to witness. None of Klimt's work showcases such a sexual interpretation of the female body, and remains hidden within his sketchbook. The woman is clothed in a red and while dress, as the red portion of her dress seems to be pulled towards her illustrating her body. Even as a sketch, the artist carefully depicts the details of her attire, where the white under portion seems to be chiffon that ruffles in layers. The woman's legs are exposed, as the artist illustrates small boots blended into her feet.

The interesting portion of the sketch are the woman's closed eyes as she leans back in enjoyment, bringing the viewer again to question whether the event actually occurred. The woman's hair is lightly curled and held in place. Her small features on her face showcase a petite nose, mouth and eyes that expose enjoyment.

Evidently the artist had never released the piece, hiding within his sketchbook throughout the years, perhaps planning on painting it in the future. Yet, it is showcased as the artist found the piece significant, as he used a light white and red coloured pencils to go over the piece in detail. Perhaps the artist understood that the erotic piece would be met at the time with an incredible amount of criticism, hindering his other work. Yet desires to create pieces of these natures, showcasing a part of himself that he always wanted to be seen. The drawing successfully illustrates the artist's immense style through a multitude of techniques and number of ideas.