Water Serpents I

Water Serpents I marks a significant series of mystical paintings from Gustav Klimt

Water Serpents by Gustav Klimt is sometimes mistakenly termed "Water Snakes"or "Sea Serpents". Water Serpents I & II both feature attractive and highly detailed depictions of women which was the hallmark of this great Austrian artist.

The popularity of both Water Serpents paintings is due to the great detail and colour that he put into both and the flattering and feminine finish to each portrait. Their is a mystical and charming set of imagery within both paintings and the great level of detail means they hold longevity too. Typically for his portrait works, Klimt would produce many high level pencil sketches in preparation for them and these are valuable pieces of art work in their own right in the modern era, with his drawing talents equally respected.

Water Serpents II features the full painting in all it's glory, with a smaller version below that just concentrates on specific details from the art work that some people prefer. The Kiss is a similar work featuring full length portraits within mystical, swirling series of bright objects but differs in that it includes a man and a woman in a lover's hug, whilst the Water Serpents series just includes women to give a pleasingly feminine look that matches the articulate detail that runs throughout both paintings. It is easy to see why so many love to buy Klimt Water Serpent prints!

Water Serpents II is included in detail with a cropped print available, that some people prefer over the full size original version. This version allows a greater coverage of the individual detail in the painting but still includes the main focus of the art work, which is the two beautiful women that intertwine with the elaborate background patterns. Gustav Klimt was an artist who remained consistent throughout his career and this expressive style is seen right across his career ever since growing out of his intial early stages where he was simply finding his feet as an artist. For those who discovered Water Serpents first, there is a great detail of further paintings in his career which they are highly likely to also appreciate as they'll hold clear stylistic similarities within them.

Gustav Klimt had an exceptional successful career with many of his paintings still receiving large exposure within the media every year. There can be no question that his most famous painting of all was The Kiss.

Water Serpents I is shown above and although less respected than the second in the series, it is still one of Klimt's very best, with international fans for both all over the world. Indeed, online foreign language searched related to these series of paintings include Wasserschlangen (German), Serpents d'eau, Sirènes I (French), Serpientes acuáticas (Spanish) and Bisce d'acqua (Italian). Most online users however will use the English name, despite most originally being given German names by the artist when they were first painted.

Adele Bloch Bauer is a further painting by Klimt which follows a similar style to Water Serpents I. You can find out more on Klimt Adele Bloch Bauer here. That painting features a portrait of a popular model that he used on several occasions within his stylish portrait paintings. There are also a series of pencil sketches of Bloch-Bauer as preparation for each of the final paintings.

Most Popular Gustav Klimt Reproductions

Water Serpents I & II are just two of the great paintings by Klimt that make popular choices as reproductions, and we include a list below of the 20 most frequent selections from a career that boasts a broad portfolio of paintings.

• The Tree of Life, Stoclet Frieze, c.1909
• Farm Garden with Sunflowers, c.1912
• Forest of Beech Trees, c.1903
• The Kiss, c.1907
• Apple Tree, 1912
• The Tree of Life, Stoclet Frieze, c.1909
• The Kiss, 1907-1908
• The Kiss, c.1907 (detail)
• Water Serpents II, c.1907 (detail)
• Tannenwald (Pine Forest), 1902
• Buchenwald (Beech Trees), 1903
• The Tree of Life, Stoclet Frieze, c.1909 (darkened detail)
• Mother and Child (detail from The Three Ages of Woman), c.1905
• Portrait of a Young Woman, 1896-97
• Garden with Sunflowers, 1905-6
• Beechwood Forest
• Water Serpents II, c.1907 (detail)
• The Kiss, Der Kuss, Close-Up of Heads
• Gardenpath with Hens, 1916
• Donna con Ventaglio