The sitter is Hermine Gallia, née Hamburger (1870 – 1936). In 1893 she married her uncle, Moritz Gallia, a government adviser who became a leading patron of the arts. In this painting she wears a dress designed by Klimt.

Numerous drawings exist for the composition of this work, and several alterations are visible to the naked eye, much of the figure’s contour having been altered. In 1903 the painting was shown in an unfinished state in the Klimt-Kollective exhibition.

Every morning on my Treadmill (still strying to get in shape) I watch Netflix DVD’s on artists and art. It is amazing to see just how many are available.

Love how Klimt used gold in his work and would like to add some gold leaf to my nudes. His father was a jeweler and he learned how to work with gold from him. He dedicated his life to his art and changed the way we look at portraits.