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ESM-05
Gustav Klimt
Portrait of a Young Woman Reclining, 1897–1898
Frame 35 × 40 × 5.5 cm (13.8 × 15.7 × 2.2 in)
The Object
A warm, substantial 19th-century antique frame in wood, sourced individually in Paris — natural texture, real depth.
The Finished Object
The archival edition makes the drawing visible at close range; the warm, layered antique frame was found separately in Paris. While the print itself is an edition, this specific antique frame is unique. The two are paired once and will never be repeated.
€ 5,900 · approx $6,800
Genuine 19th-century antique frame, sourced individually in Paris · Archival pigment print on fine-art paper · UV-protective glazing · Signed Certificate of Unique Pairing
Ships insured from Paris within one week · Fourteen days to live with it · Trade pricing available Inquire for Trade Pricing
Ships insured from Paris within one week · Fourteen days to live with it · Trade pricing available Inquire for Trade Pricing
The Work
It is the quietest thing in the room. And yet.
No gold. No pattern. No surface. Black chalk moving across paper with absolute certainty — no hesitation, no correction. A face emerging from almost nothing. The original, dated 1897–1898, is held by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, which notes that the high degree of finish and the absence of a related painting indicate an independent portrait rather than a study.
The artist’s signature is reproduced as part of the original image; the edition itself is not hand-signed by Gustav Klimt.
No gold. No pattern. No surface. Black chalk moving across paper with absolute certainty — no hesitation, no correction. A face emerging from almost nothing. The original, dated 1897–1898, is held by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, which notes that the high degree of finish and the absence of a related painting indicate an independent portrait rather than a study.
The artist’s signature is reproduced as part of the original image; the edition itself is not hand-signed by Gustav Klimt.
The Pairing
Face it straight on and the frame is modest. Step to the side — forty-five degrees — and it becomes another object entirely: layer upon layer of moulding, real depth, the calm grain of old wood. The drawing works the same way. From across the room it is small and quiet. Lean in, and every line is steady and certain. Neither announces itself. Both reveal themselves to whoever comes closer.
In the Space
Placed in an intimate passage or a niche — a piece read at arm’s length.
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