Gustav Klimt – Expectation

Expectation is one of the two human figures of Klimt’s Stoclet Frieze: a slender dancer in strict profile, arms raised and bent at sharp angles, in a long robe of gold, blue, green and white triangles, with the golden spirals of the tree of life behind her. The original is a full-size working drawing kept by the MAK in Vienna, and the mosaic made from it decorates the dining room of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas, in upright sizes or to your own measurement, and send you a photograph of the finished work for approval before dispatch.

Expectation – Gustav Klimt

What does the painting show?

The painting is upright. In its centre stands a slender woman, turned into strict profile towards the left. She holds her arms raised in front of her face, bent at sharp angles like a dancer on an ancient Egyptian wall painting; her head is slightly turned, her dark hair pinned up high. Her whole body is covered by a long robe of triangles in gold, blue, green and white that widens like a bell towards the floor.

Behind her wind the golden spirals of the tree of life: branches that curl into regular whorls and fill the background right to the edges. A few small flowers grow at her feet. The scene has neither depth nor shadow; everything is surface, pattern and gold, just like the mosaic for which Klimt prepared this drawing. That is exactly why it looks both calm and luxurious on a wall.

Which part of the Stoclet Frieze is Expectation?

The Stoclet Frieze is a mosaic on the walls of the dining room of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. Klimt drew nine full-size working drawings for it. On one long wall the tree of life spreads out, and on the opposite wall it is repeated as a mirror image. On one side stands the dancer we call Expectation, and across the room the Lovers, called Fulfillment, answer her.

Expectation is therefore one of the two human figures of the frieze. The MAK, which holds the drawings, explicitly places the dancer opposite the lovers. Our painting shows the dancer with part of the golden spirals behind her, as in the main product image; the whole design with the tree and both figures we paint as a separate painting.

What does the painting mean?

The names Expectation and Fulfillment tell you how to read the two scenes. Expectation is the state before the meeting: the dancer is alone, collected and tense, holding her arms as if preparing for a step or an embrace. On the opposite wall Fulfillment shows what follows, a couple in an embrace.

Because both figures stand among the branches of the same tree of life, many read the frieze as a story of longing and love growing from the same root as life itself. The spiralling branches never end and keep curling again, which creates a sense of constant movement. Such a meaning stays open: the painting does not impose it, it offers it to whoever looks at it.

Where are the original and the mosaic today?

The working drawings from which the mosaic was made are kept by the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, which bought them in 1961. They are in mixed media on paper, with gold, metals, pastel and gouache, and one of them measures about 195 x 94 cm. Klimt wrote instructions on them in his own hand for carrying out the mosaic in the most precious materials: enamel, mother-of-pearl and gold leaf.

The mosaic decorates the dining room of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels, which the architect Josef Hoffmann built between 1905 and 1911 for the industrialist Adolphe Stoclet. The house is privately owned and not open to visitors, and in 2009 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The mosaic is therefore almost impossible to see in person, while the working drawings are in the collection of the MAK.

Expectation among Klimt’s works

Expectation has its partner across the room in the frieze: Fulfillment, the lovers in an embrace. The whole design with both figures and the tree is shown in Tree of Life, and the tree alone with the black bird in Tree of Life (Detail). How to choose: for a single upright figure choose Expectation, for the whole scene above a sofa choose the wide Tree of Life.

In the same period Klimt also developed gold, pattern and flat figures in The Kiss. You can read more about the frieze and the house on Wikipedia.

How is our hand-painted version made?

The original is a working drawing on paper in mixed media with gold, made as a model for a mosaic; ours is a hand-painted oil copy after Klimt’s drawing, on canvas. The painter first draws the figure and the network of spirals, then paints the skin, the background and the coloured triangles of the robe in thin layers. The golden spirals and the gold parts of the robe are painted by hand in gold paint with a brush; we do not use gold leaf.

The main product image shows a single canvas of Expectation. The photographs, however, show our hand-painted Expectation hanging next to our hand-painted Tree of Life (Detail): two separate paintings, Expectation on the left under the golden spirals, the tree on the right. In the first photograph the two paintings hang side by side on a white wall, seen at an angle. The second photograph shows them above a bed in a bright bedroom with wooden furniture, and the third photograph from the front. Both can be ordered together as a matching pair with our Tree of Life (Detail), painted to the same height on request.

Every painting is a hand-painted copy made for your order, so no two are ever quite the same. A printed oil painting reproduction cannot show the relief of the brushstrokes and the shine of gold paint that you can see and feel on the canvas.

Which size for which wall?

Short answer: for a narrow wall beside a wardrobe or between doors choose 50 x 80 or 60 x 100 cm, above a bed or in a tall room 70 x 115 or 80 x 130 cm, and for a small corner 40 x 65 cm. The sizes are 40 x 65, 50 x 80, 60 x 100, 70 x 115, 80 x 130 and 100 x 165 cm.

All sizes are upright and follow the proportion of the motif as you see it in the main product image. The largest, 100 x 165 cm, suits a tall wall or a staircase. It brightens a hallway, a bedroom or a narrow wall beside a window. As a painting for the living room, hang it beside a sofa or a sideboard, since it is upright; if you want the whole scene above a sofa, the wide Tree of Life is the better choice.

Hang it with the centre of the canvas about 150 cm above the floor; above a bed, keep the lower edge 20 to 30 cm above the headboard.

Custom size, stretcher and frame

If you need a different size, or a matching pair like the one in the photographs, we paint it to measure. Send us the width and height you want and we will quote a price and a lead time. Every painting we make is stretched over a wooden stretcher and ready to hang.

For the moulding, use our 3D application: it shows every one of our frame profiles on this subject, so you can compare gold, silver, black, white and natural wood before deciding – the application is for choosing the frame only. If you would like to see how the painting will look on your own wall, that is our separate room placement service. A gold or bronze frame brings out the golden spirals, while a thin dark frame emphasises the coloured triangles of the robe.

Delivery and guarantee

Every painting is made to order in our studio, so allow 15 to 45 days depending on the size you choose. We ship it stretched and protected for transport, framed if you chose a frame, across the EU with no customs. Before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve; if anything is not right, we correct it while the canvas is still in our workshop. Our returns policy applies to every order.

Every other Klimt work we paint is in the Gustav Klimt gallery, and there is more about the painter in our ten facts about Klimt. If the painting is a gift and you are unsure of the size, there is a wall art voucher: the recipient chooses the size and the subject.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the original Expectation?

The original Expectation is a full-size working drawing kept by the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna; the museum bought Klimt’s drawings for the Stoclet Frieze in 1961. The mosaic made from it is in the dining room of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. The house is privately owned and not open to visitors, so you cannot see the mosaic in person.

What does Klimt’s Expectation mean?

Klimt’s Expectation shows a dancer standing alone among the branches of the tree of life, waiting. In the Stoclet Frieze she is answered on the opposite wall by an embracing couple called Fulfillment. Many therefore read the two scenes as two stages of love: longing before the meeting and happiness when love comes true.

What is the difference between Expectation and Fulfillment?

Expectation shows a single figure, a dancer in profile with raised arms, while Fulfillment shows a couple in an embrace. In the dining room of the Palais Stoclet they face each other, each on its own long wall beneath the spirals of the tree of life. Choose Expectation for a calmer, more mysterious painting and Fulfillment for a tender scene of two people.

Is Expectation part of the Tree of Life?

Yes, Expectation belongs to the same design as the Tree of Life: they are all working drawings for the mosaic frieze of the Palais Stoclet. The dancer stands at the edge of the tree, among its golden spirals. With us you can choose Expectation alone, the whole design with both figures, or Expectation together with our Tree of Life (Detail) as a matching pair, as in the photographs.

Can I see the Expectation mosaic in person?

You cannot visit the Expectation mosaic inside the Palais Stoclet in Brussels, because the house is privately owned and not open to visitors; in 2009 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The working drawings for Expectation and the other parts of the frieze are kept by the MAK in Vienna. Check before a visit which drawings are currently on display.

What technique is the original Expectation made in?

The original Expectation is a working drawing on paper in mixed media, with gold, metals, pastel and gouache, made as a model for a mosaic. On it Klimt wrote instructions for carrying it out in enamel, mother-of-pearl and gold leaf. Our painting is a hand-painted oil copy on canvas, so it is durable and suits any room.

Is the gold on Expectation real gold?

On our Expectation the golden spirals and the gold parts of the robe are painted by hand in gold paint with a brush, not laid on as gold leaf. That way the gold bonds well with the oil and stays stable over the years. In the photographs above you can see how the light catches the spirals and the triangles of the dancer’s robe.

Which size of Expectation should I choose?

For a narrow wall choose Expectation in 50 x 80 or 60 x 100 cm, and for a taller wall or above a bed 70 x 115 or 80 x 130 cm. As a canvas painting it comes alive where a wide painting would have no room: beside a wardrobe, between doors or on a staircase. For a small corner, 40 x 65 cm suits well.

Is Expectation a good gift?

Yes, Expectation is a lovely gift for a wedding, an anniversary or anyone who loves Klimt’s gold. Paired with Fulfillment it tells of longing and love, which makes it suitable for couples. Because we paint every painting individually, we can match the size to the recipient’s room, and you receive a photograph of the finished work before dispatch.

• Subject: a dancer in profile with raised arms, in a robe of gold and coloured triangles, before the golden spirals of the tree of life.
• Original: working drawing for the Stoclet Frieze, 1910–1911, mixed media with gold on paper, MAK, Vienna.
• Ours: a Klimt reproduction painted by hand in oil on canvas, gold in gold paint, in upright sizes or made to measure.
• Worth knowing: you receive a photograph of the finished work for approval before dispatch.