Sonja Knips
Calm and confident, Sonja Knips gazes back at us. A baroness by birth, she was one of Gustav Klimt’s most prominent patrons. The artist subtly composed her portrait with great sensitivity, alternating between hazy evocation and precision: Sonja Knips’s face is rendered naturalistically, while her sumptuous tulle gown dissolves in a cascade of soft brushstrokes. Leaning slightly forward, she sits on the edge of an armchair ready to rise at any moment. A red sketchbook in her right hand adds an accent of bright color. This is the first portrait that Klimt painted in a square format. It also marks the start of his rise to become one of the most sought-after portraitists of Viennese society.
Not on display
1897/1898
Oil on canvas
145.0 x 146.0cm
4403
Image © Belvedere, Vienna, 2024
Where you'll find this
Upper Belvedere
Permanent collection