Gustav Klimt ‘The Hope’

Artists of all times were mesmerized by the beauty of female body. But only painters like Gustav Klimt could make it look so extravagant yet so fragile and charming. One of his signature works, ‘The Hope’ shows the joys and fears of motherhood in unexpectedly bold imagery. Following the trace of symbols left by the artist, we can find the hidden message of this brilliant canvas.

Life and death never apart

Between 1903 and 1908, Klimt created two paintings depicting a pregnant woman in his iconic manner. He was inspired by the pregnancy of Herma, one of his favorite models whose backside, according to the artist, was ‘much more elegant and intelligent than the faces of many others.’

• - ‘Hope I’ shows a profile of a naked pregnant woman. Surrounded by a cloud of fiery curls, she looks at the viewer with big, serious eyes, her palms pressed to her chest above the protruding belly. Shifted to the right, the model’s silhouette clearly stands out against the dark background. The fluttering ornate sheets are contrasted with the patience expectation in the glance of the future mother. A creepy allegoric backdrop with masks and skulls supposedly symbolizes the dangers threatening a new life.
• - ‘Hope 2’  is performed in a different style and produces quite an ambiguous impression. A disproportionally tall female figure is dressed in a patterned gown, reminiscent of Klimt’s other works. Her bare breasts and swollen belly tell us she is pregnant. Her face, however, is thoughtful and sad. At the bottom of her skirt, we can see silhouettes of a few other women, their heads sunken and their hands thrown up in sorrow. Despite a cheerful palette, the painting is filled with apprehension.  A skull on the mother’s belly looks quite dismal and makes us wonder whether the baby will be born or not.

There is ‘Hope’ for you yet…

The two ‘Hopes’ by Klimt create a stunning metaphor of life and death that exist together inside a mother’s belly. If you, too, are fascinated by this deep, vivid image, you have a great chance to put it on your wall! A colorful, shining reproduction of Gustav Klimt ‘The Hope’ carefully copied from the original will add a contemporary twist to your interior and attest your progressive art taste. Order a premium hand-painted replica of the artist’s legendary canvas and don’t let it out of your sight!