Judith II (Salome) — History & Facts
A woman with pale skin and dark hair dominates the tall, narrow canvas, her body turned in profile and her face set in a calm, almost detached expression. Her lips are painted a deep red, and a single dark beauty mark sits high on her cheek, just below the eye. She is nude from the waist up, her left arm bent and her hand resting near her face, while her right arm extends downward, fingers splayed and delicate.
The woman’s torso is adorned with swirling patterns and bracelets, their turquoise, blue, and red stones echoing the decorative motifs that fill the background. The background is a patchwork of vivid colors and geometric patterns: gold spirals on a field of red, checkerboard squares in blue, green, and white, and clusters of concentric circles in pink and purple. A black area behind the main figure sets off her pale skin and the bright colors of her jewelry and surroundings, creating a dramatic contrast.
The composition is tightly framed by two wide, gold-painted vertical borders, which give the impression of a shrine or altarpiece. Paint is applied in flat, decorative planes, with areas of thick, textured brushwork especially visible in the gold and patterned sections. The artist’s signature appears in the lower left corner, set within a small yellow rectangle.
A second figure’s head appears at the bottom of the canvas, eyes closed and lips slightly parted, with long brown hair gripped by the main figure’s right hand. The background in the upper left corner features a field of orange-red interrupted by swirling golden lines and small blue squares. A checkerboard pattern of blue, green, white, and black squares is visible behind the woman’s left shoulder, bordered by deep red and gold.
The lower part of the painting is dominated by angular black and white shapes, interspersed with blue, purple, and yellow accents. Light falls most strongly on the woman’s face, chest, and hands, leaving the lower head and background in deeper shadow. Paint is applied in both smooth, blended areas for skin and hair, and in thick, textured strokes for the gold spirals and geometric patterns throughout the composition.
More Artworks by Gustav Klimt

The Kiss
Gustav Klimt

Study for Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I
Gustav Klimt

Woman with fan
Gustav Klimt

Judith
Gustav Klimt

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I
Gustav Klimt

Water Serpents II
Gustav Klimt

Mäda Primavesi
Gustav Klimt

Portrait of Rose von Rosthorn-Friedmann
Gustav Klimt

The Three Ages of the Woman
Gustav Klimt

Birch Forest
Gustav Klimt





