Master Apollon House Gallery

Gustav Klimt’s Women Friends: A Study of Beauty, Sexuality, and Loss

Gustav Klimt’s Women Friends (1916-1917), also known as The Friends or Girlfriends II, stands as a poignant reminder of the fragility of art and the devastating impact of war on cultural heritage. Although destroyed by fire in 1945, this late-career masterpiece remains an important reflection of Klimt’s mature style and thematic exploration.

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Overview: A Glimpse Into Klimt’s Late Career

Women Friends featured two women—one nude and one clothed in vibrant red—gazing directly at the viewer. Their intimate composition was set against a pink background adorned with oriental motifs of birds and flowers. The painting exemplified Klimt’s mature style, marked by flattened planes, visible brushstrokes, bold colors, and exaggerated forms.

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Key Themes in Women Friends

1. Oriental Influences
By the 1910s, Klimt had developed a fascination with Chinese art, which prominently influenced Women Friends. The painting incorporated motifs such as the phoenix, lotus, and crane, each symbolizing luck and prosperity. These oriental elements added layers of meaning to the artwork while reflecting Klimt’s thematic and stylistic evolution.

2. Femininity and Sexuality
As in much of his work, Klimt celebrated female beauty and sensuality in Women Friends. The intimate pose and direct gaze of the two subjects invite viewers to interpret their relationship, potentially suggesting lesbianism—a topic that intrigued French pop culture at the time. Klimt’s exploration of ambiguous female relationships added depth and complexity to the painting, challenging societal norms.

3. Imaginative Composition
Unlike Klimt’s commissioned portraits, Women Friends featured unknown models, suggesting the artist’s imaginative approach. By blending studies of the female form with idealized and stylized poses, Klimt crafted a unique portrayal of femininity, further distancing the work from traditional portraiture.

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Historical Journey: From Prestige to Tragedy

The Lederer Collection
Women Friends was part of the esteemed Lederer Collection, owned by August and Serena Lederer, prominent Viennese art patrons. Their collection included many of Klimt’s masterpieces, such as Beethoven Frieze and portraits of Serena and her family.

Nazi Seizure and Destruction
Following Austria’s annexation in 1938, the Lederer Collection was seized by the Nazis. Women Friends was displayed in a 1943 Klimt retrospective in Vienna before being relocated to Schloss Immendorf for safekeeping. Tragically, a fire engulfed the castle in 1945, destroying the painting alongside numerous other invaluable works. The exact cause of the fire remains a mystery, but its impact underscores the catastrophic loss of cultural heritage during wartime.

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Notable Quotes About Women Friends

• “The visual language seen in many of his other late paintings is visible in Women Friends. Such stylizations include the flattening of planes, visible brushstrokes, attention to color, and exaggeration of form and pose.”
• “[Klimt] engaged frequently with Chinese art. In the background of Women Friends, there are motifs of the phoenix… the lotus… and the crane, all symbols of luck.”
• “Klimt treated the subject of women and feminine beauty most in his paintings, rarely depicting men. He combined both studies of models and imaginative, idealization of poses and expressions.”
• “Many of Klimt’s compositions sought to portray femininity in new and radically different staging. This included potential depictions of lesbianism, incorporated into the more overtly explored ranges of sexuality and of the female body within his works.”

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Significance and Legacy

Although Women Friends was lost to history, its themes and stylistic innovations ensure its place as a significant work in Klimt’s oeuvre. The painting exemplified his mature approach to composition, blending bold symbolism with intricate design. Its destruction during World War II serves as a somber reminder of the countless cultural treasures lost to conflict.

Through surviving records and descriptions, Women Friends continues to inspire art enthusiasts and scholars, offering a glimpse into Klimt’s visionary exploration of beauty, intimacy, and the evolving portrayal of femininity.