Gustav Klimt print - Water Serpents II - 1904-1907
Gustav Klimt - Water Serpents
Year: 1904-1907 - oil on canvas cm 145x80
Preserved at: Österreichische Galerie im Belvedere, Vienna, Austria.
In 1903 Gustav Klimt visited Ravenna twice and was fascinated by the beauty of the Byzantine mosaics, which had a strong influence on the artist.
Gustav Klimt created the second version of Water Serpents accentuating the sensual character.
The composition develops horizontally. Four Undines, like modern mermaids, float in the water: one is asleep with her back turned towards the observer; the faces of two others are juxtaposed in an intimate whisper; the fourth, in the foreground, looks at the observer, pushing the hair away from the face with one hand.