Gustav Klimt. Drawings & Watercolours

There can be no doubt about Klimt s greatness as a draughtsman. Remarkable above all is the intensely sensual mood that he establishes in his limpid, fluid drawings and watercolours. Rainer Metzger brings together hundreds of Klimt s works on paper in a way that enriches our knowledge of the artist and enhances the visual impact of his oeuvre. Many revolve around Klimt s taboo-breaking main themes the naked woman, erotica and homoerotica while others provide allegorical and historical insights. Between these two poles lie Klimt s elegantly direct preparatory sketches and studies, tirelessly and manically executed frameworks that would lay the foundations for his paintings. This book is a fitting testament to a hitherto neglected aspect of Klimt s art, which is as complex and contradictory as the times in which it was made and as the man who made it.