Water Serpents II, 1907

1000 Bluebird (48 x 68.3)
Water Serpents II, 1907
Gustav Klimt
Production Date 2022

I completed this wonderful Klimt classic in 2024 while preparing for my daughter's wedding and an upcoming trip to the States. It didn't disappoint as Klimt is one of my favorite artists and the Bluebird brand is of excellent quality. It's interesting that the box photo is in portrait format when the original work is landscape.

From Wikipedia:

Water Serpents II, also referred to as Wasserschlangen II, is an oil painting made in 1907 by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. It is the follow-up painting to the earlier painting Water Serpents I. Like the first painting, Water Serpents II deals with the sensuality of women's bodies and same-sex relationships. The painting has a rich history. During World War II, it was stolen by the Nazis, and more recently, it has been the center of a controversy surrounding its record 2013 sale. As of March 2024, it is the 6th most expensive painting in the world and the most expensive work by Klimt to sell.

The painting is an oil on canvas. It was started by Klimt in 1904 and finished in either 1906 or 1907. It was originally commissioned for and owned by Jenny Steiner, the daughter of a Viennese industrialist. The painting was the last in a series of works, which include Moving Water (1898), Medicine (1901), Goldfish (1902), and Water Serpents I (1904), that all had water nymphs as the subjects of the painting.

The painting features a group of four water nymphs, portrayed in lustful bliss. Two are seen in the foreground in full nudity; the other two can be found in the top right corner of the piece, and only their heads are visible. The painting can be seen as a non-controversial portrayal of mythical figures, which had been common in art for centuries. But it has also been interpreted as a depiction of a lesbian orgy. According to this interpretation, since same-sex relationships were not acceptable at the time, Klimt disguised the women as mythical figures. This is supported by the fact that the main character's pubic hair is showing, and she is glaring sensually at the viewer. This glare is reminiscent of the way the subject glares at the viewer in the painting Olympia by Manet. This painting, and its lesbian subjects, is seen as a precursor to later Klimt paintings such as Women Friends (1917), which displayed lesbian relationships more openly.