 | This article may incorporate text from a large language model .(July 2025) |
| Water Serpents I | |
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| Artist | Gustav Klimt |
| Year | 1904–1907 |
| Movement | Modernism |
| Dimensions | 50 × 20 cm (19.7 × 7.9 in) |
| Location | Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna |
Water Serpents I (German : Wasserschlangen I) is a modernism artwork from the Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt produced between 1904 and 1907. The piece is from Klimt's "Golden Phase," which is distinguished by his sensuous themes, elaborate patterns, and heavy use of gold leaf. An important work in Klimt's body of work, it explores themes of fluidity, femininity, and sensuality. These themes are frequently interpreted in relation to the artist's fascination with the interaction between the human form and water. [1]
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The painting is one of a number of pieces that show elongated, entwined female figures submerged in a surreal, aquatic setting. It has a strong connection to Klimt's Water Serpents II (1904–1907), another painting that expands on these themes. Water Serpents I is one of Klimt's less well-known works because it is kept in a private collection.
The water snakes were painted using various techniques, from watercolour and tempera to gold leaves on parchment. The composition showed stretched slender figures typical of the Jugendstil, which displayed an abstract illustration of a long-haired woman embracing a serpent-like figure.