We have thus far discussed the portraits of Friederike Maria Beer, Elizabeth Bachofen-Echt, Rita (also known as Ria or Maria) Munk and seen Adele Bloch-Bauer II. Klimt left other Asian-inspired paintings as well, though some are not as obvious. A Lady with Fan (1917-8) is one. lady.jpg Klimt was working on this painting when he died abrupty from stroke in 1918. Asian influence is obvious even at a first glance; the model is wearing what appears to be one of Klimt’s kimonos, holding an Asian fan. The background is elaborately strewn with lotus blossoms and Asian phoenixes fly about. The emotional detachment of the model is even stronger, however; facing away from the viewer, she reveals no personality or emotion, but does reveal her shoulders and decolletage. Klimt views her as not only decorative, but a sexual object, much like the Japanese paintings of famous geishas that he collected.

In contrast to the Lady with a Fan, Portrait of Mada Primavesi (1912) is one of the most personal works of Klimt.66.jpg Mada stands on what seems like a rug of lotus blossoms; a phoenix makes an appearance next to her leg. Standing with her feet apart and her right hand on her hip, she is a headstrong, mischievous but adorable young girl. Klimt’s keen psychological perception in this painting is an anomaly among the other emotionally-detached works influenced by Asia. Perhaps because Mada is so young, Klimt was able to see her as a person rather than a (sexual) object. This rare work is both a visual fantasy and a personal rendering, and thus remains one of Klimt’s masterpieces.