(Vienna 1862–1918) ‘Die Mutter des Künstlers’, circa 1904, study (portrait with study of a hand) for painting, ‘Die drei Lebensalter’ (Novotny/Dobai no. 141, Weidinger no. 178) pen, ink, chalk (contour of the chair) on paper, 55 x 35 cm, framed, (K)

Alice Strobl, Gustav Klimt, Die Zeichnungen 1904–1912, vol. II, Verlag Galerie Welz, Salzburg 1982, no. 1330, full-page ill., p. 50

Illustrated in: Hyperion, series I , vol. 3, 1908, no. 5 Kunstwart, vol. 23, no. 1, May 1910, p. 196 (detail from the Hyperion Almanach)

Literature - mostly illustrated:Grohmann, ‘Zeichnungen, Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele’, Monatshefte für Buchfreunde und Graphiksammler, vol. 1, 1925, p. 519 (ill.)
Emil Pirchan, Gustav Klimt, ein Künstler aus Wien, Vienna/Leipzig 1942, ill. p. 87 (detail)
Der Abend 6-Uhr-Blatt 12.2.1953 (ill.) Ingomar Hatle, Gustav Klimt, ein Wiener Maler des Jugendstils, unpubl. diss (typescript), University of Graz 1955, p. 108
Emil Pirchan, Gustav Klimt, Vienna 1956, ill. 132 (detail)
Fritz Novotny/Johannes Dobai, Gustav Klimt, Salzburg 1967, 2nd reprint, 1975, p. 305
Christian M. Nebehay, Gustav Klimt-Dokumentation, Vienna 1969, ill. 21
Christian M. Nebehay, Gustav Klimt, Sein Leben nach zeitgenössischen Berichten und Quellen, dtv, Munich 1976, p. 28, ill. 18

Provenance: In former ownership of architect Carl Witzmann, Vienna His heirs, Vienna
Dorotheum, 610th art auction, Vienna 5.12.1975, no. 1238/plate 8,
Private Collection, Vienna

Alice Strobl/Gustav Klimt/vol. II: ... Since it has been possible to date the drawing (cat. no. 1328) to 1904, the other studies depicting old women may also be dateable to some degree on this basis. The studies of the artist’s mother (cat. nos 1330-33) may be numbered amongst them, the most beautiful of them (cat. no. 1330, plate, p. 50) appearing to be designed to fit into a circular composition. The mother’s dress is adorned with the tiniest of circles, such as are also seen on the tulle wrap featured in the study for the portrait of Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein, which dates from the same year (cat. nos 1262–74) and yet do not occur in the artist’s later work...