Gustav Klimt - Mada Primavesi Envelope

Mäda Primavesi, painted in 1912-1913 in oil on canvas by Austrian Symbolist Gustav Klimt. Nine-year-old Mäda stands upright and faces the viewer directly in a white dress, her self-assured pose contrasting with the lively patterned background and carpet. Klimt produced numerous preparatory drawings to test different poses, clothes and settings before settling on this frontal composition. The portrait was commissioned by her father Otto Primavesi, a banker, industrialist and supporter of progressive Viennese art and design. Unlike the enveloping gold of Klimt's earlier portraits, this later work uses clear outlines, pale space and bright decorative colour to emphasise the child's presence.