Framed Canvas - Gustav Klimt, Water Serpents II

Canvas with frame

Brighten up your white walls with this stunning Water Snakes II framed canvas! This high-quality canvas Water Snakes II made of pine wood has rubber pads on the back corners. The wall mount is already attached so the artwork can be hung in no time. In addition, the frame gives the canvas a cool, floating effect!

• Pine frame
• Frame thickness: 3.18 cm (1.25″)
• Canvas fabric weight: 344 g/m² +/- 25g/m² (10.15 +/- 0.74 oz/yd²)
• Open back
• Rubber pads on rear corners
• Hanging fittings already attached
• Blank product from the USA

Canvas without frame

Looking for some flair for your office or home? Your search is over! This canvas print - Water Snakes II with vibrant and fade-resistant colors is sure to catch the eye.

• Acid-free, PH-neutral poly-cotton base
• 0.5mm thick poly-cotton fabric
• Canvas fabric weight: 470gsm
• Fade resistant
• Hand-stretched on a solid wood frame
• Matt coating
• 1.5" deep
• Includes mounting brackets
• Raw product sourced in the EU from Latvia
• Raw product sourced in the USA

Water Snakes II

Gustav Klimt's famous 1907 oil painting "Water Snakes 2" is one of his masterpieces that expresses his distinctive artistic style and his exploration of the beauty of women. It is a continuation of the theme of "Water Snakes 1" and deals with sensuality and same-sex relationships.

One of the main features of the painting is a group of water nymphs depicted throughout the canvas with a heightened sense of sensuality and desire. Two nymphs are completely naked in the foreground, while the other two in the upper right corner only show their heads. This depiction is mythological, but some interpretations suggest that it represents a representation of a lesbian meeting.

The "Water Snakes 2" are important not only because of their artistic expression, but also because of their historical context. During the turbulent period of World War II, the painting was owned by Jenny Steiner, but fell victim to Nazi confiscation and ended up in the possession of Gustav Ucicky, a Nazi filmmaker.

After the war, the painting resurfaced and hung on a wall in Ucicky's Vienna apartment. In 2012, Ursula Ucicky, Gustav's widow, decided to sell the painting through the Sotheby's auction house. The sale required an agreement with Jenny Steiner's heirs, which led to the creation of the New Klimt Foundation with the proceeds.

The story takes a new turn with the "Bouvier affair". Yves Bouvier sold the painting to Dmitri Rybolovlev in 2013, manipulated the transaction and profited immensely. The subsequent revelation led to litigation and lawsuits and made waves in the art world.

Today, "Water Snakes II" has changed hands again and is in the private collection of an unnamed Qatari princess or an Asian buyer. The painting, which has been exhibited in renowned museums such as the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, continues to captivate art lovers and is a testament to Klimt's enduring artistic legacy.

Gustav Klimt 

Blog article: About life and artistic legacy