Gustav Klimt - The Bride (unfinished)

The Bride (Die Braut) - unfinished, painted in 1917-1918 in oil on canvas by Austrian Symbolist Gustav Klimt and left unfinished at his death. A crowded group of women, a baby and a monk-like male figure surrounds the central bride, whose face and white garment emerge from a field of bodies, textiles and intense colour. Finished passages stand beside areas where drawing and underpainting remain exposed, offering unusual insight into Klimt's working process. More than 140 preparatory drawings survive for the composition, showing how extensively he explored the figures and their arrangement. The monumental allegory extends his long interest in love, intimacy and the stages of human life while moving towards a more expressive late style.