Gustav Klimt – Hope I

Hope I is Klimt’s painting of 1903: a young, heavily pregnant woman stands nude in profile and turns towards us, her red hair crowned with small flowers and her hands on her belly, while a skull and distorted faces lurk in the darkness behind her. The original, oil on canvas, almost two metres tall and narrow, belongs to the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas, in seven tall, narrow sizes or to your own measurement.

Hope I – Gustav Klimt

What does the painting show?

On the tall, narrow canvas stands a young woman in the last weeks of her pregnancy. She is nude, set in profile, and turns her head towards us. Small flowers adorn her red hair, and her hands rest on her belly, as if to shield the child she is carrying.

Behind her, dark figures rise from the gloomy ground: a skull and several distorted, grotesque faces that watch her. At the lower left a dark blue patterned cloth winds upwards, like a sea creature. Her pale skin stands in the middle of the darkness and seems almost to glow.

What does the painting mean?

The painting is about hope in the face of danger. The woman carries a new life, and around her are signs of death and misfortune: the skull and the dark faces. She is not afraid of them; she stands calmly and holds her belly in her hands.

That is why it is called Hope: the life that is coming is stronger than the threats around it. Many see in it the courage of mothers-to-be, others an honest look at the fear a pregnancy can bring. Klimt makes nothing prettier than it is, and that frankness is what makes the painting so strong.

Why was the painting not shown publicly at first?

Hope I was not shown publicly at first. A nude pregnant woman almost two metres tall, surrounded by signs of death, is still a sight that makes people stop today.

Today it belongs to the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, where any visitor can see it. The original is 189.2 cm high and 67 cm wide, which makes it one of Klimt’s most slender paintings.

Why are there two paintings, Hope I and Hope II?

A few years later, in 1907–1908, Klimt painted another pregnant woman, which he himself called Vision. That work became known as Hope II through its link with the earlier one, which is why the earlier painting is called Hope I today.

The two are very different. Hope I is dark, nude and direct, with no gold. Hope II is square, full of gold and colourful patterns, and the woman in it is clothed and seen in profile.

Hope I among Klimt’s works

How do you choose between Hope I and Hope II? Choose Hope I if you are looking for a tall, narrow painting for a narrow wall and like a direct, dark subject without ornament; choose Hope II if you want a square painting with gold for the wall above a sofa or a bed.

Life and death often meet in Klimt’s work. In Death and Life death stands facing a group of people, and in The Three Ages of Woman a child, a mother and an old woman stand side by side. The gentler side of motherhood is in Mother and Child (detail). You can read more about the painter in the Wikipedia article on Klimt.

How is our hand-painted version made?

The painter first draws the figure of the woman, her face, her hands and the dark figures behind her in thin lines. Then he paints the pale skin in several thin layers so that it takes on a soft, warm glow, followed by the red hair with its flowers and the blue cloth at the lower left.

The hardest part is the dark ground. The skull and the faces must stay visible and yet sink into the darkness, so the painter builds them up slowly, with dark tones that differ only a little. That play of pale skin and dark ground is the heart of the painting.

Every painting is a hand-painted copy made for your order, so no two are ever quite the same. A print cannot show the relief of the brushstrokes and the depth of the dark tones that you see on the canvas up close, which is the difference an oil painting reproduction makes.

Which size for which wall?

Short answer: 40 x 110 or 50 x 140 cm for a narrow wall beside a door or between windows, 67 x 189 cm, the size of the original, for a tall wall or a stairwell, and 30 x 80 cm for a small corner. There are seven sizes: 30 x 80, 40 x 110, 50 x 140, 60 x 170, 67 x 189, 80 x 220 and 100 x 280 cm.

All of them are tall and narrow, like the original. It fills a narrow wall that is too small for an ordinary painting. A painting for the living room needs space around it; for 80 x 220 and 100 x 280 cm, measure the ceiling height first.

With the tall sizes, leave at least 20 cm above and below the painting; hang the smaller ones with the centre of the canvas about 150 cm above the floor.

Custom size, stretcher and frame

If you need a different size, for example one that fits a particular wall exactly, 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 plain black or dark wooden frame often suits the dark subject, but the painting also looks good unframed.

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, and 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 Klimt’s Hope I today?

Klimt’s Hope I is in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. The original is an oil on canvas of 1903, 189.2 cm high and 67 cm wide. If you visit Ottawa, you can see it in person. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas, in seven tall sizes or to your own measurement.

What does Hope I by Klimt mean?

Hope I is about hope in the face of danger. The pregnant woman carries a new life, while a skull and dark faces lurk behind her, signs of death and misfortune. She stands calmly and holds her belly, so the life that is coming is stronger than the threat. More about the painting on Wikipedia.

What are the dark figures behind the woman in Hope I?

Behind the woman in Hope I, a skull and several distorted, grotesque faces rise out of the darkness, and at the lower left there is a dark blue patterned cloth that looks like a sea creature. They stand for the dangers and fears that surround a pregnancy. Because they sink into the darkness, you often notice them only when you step closer.

What is the difference between Hope I and Hope II by Klimt?

Hope I dates from 1903, is tall and narrow, and shows a nude pregnant woman turning towards us with dark figures behind her, with no gold. Hope II is from 1907–1908, square and full of gold, with a clothed woman in profile. Hope I is more direct, Hope II more ornamental.

In which sizes can I order Hope I?

You can order Hope I in seven tall, narrow sizes, from 30 x 80 to 100 x 280 cm. The 67 x 189 cm size matches the original. If you need a size for a particular wall, such as an alcove or the space beside a door, we paint it to measure and quote the price and the lead time in advance.

How do I hang a tall, narrow painting like Hope I?

Hang Hope I on a wall that leaves at least 20 cm of space above and below it. It looks good beside a door, between two windows, in a stairwell or in a hallway. For the large sizes, measure the ceiling height first; hang the smaller ones with the centre of the canvas about 150 cm above the floor.

Which room suits Hope I?

Hope I suits a room with a narrow, tall wall: a hallway, a stairwell, a bedroom or a living room beside a door. As a canvas painting with a dark ground it works best on a light wall and under good light that brings out the woman’s pale skin. In a small, dark room it can get lost.

Is Hope I a good gift?

Hope I can be a fine gift for someone who loves Klimt and is not put off by the direct subject of a nude pregnant woman with signs of death. For a gentler gift, Hope II may suit better. If you are unsure of the size or the subject, there is a voucher with which the recipient chooses for themselves.

Why was Hope I not exhibited at first?

Hope I was not shown publicly at first. A nude, heavily pregnant woman on a canvas almost two metres tall, surrounded by a skull and dark faces, was an unusual sight, and it still makes people stop today. Today the painting is on view in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and is one of Klimt’s best-known works.

• Subject: a nude pregnant woman with red hair and flowers, a skull and dark faces behind her.
• Original: 1903, 189.2 x 67 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
• Ours: a Klimt reproduction painted by hand in oil on canvas, in seven tall sizes or made to measure.
• Worth knowing: you receive a photograph of the finished work for approval before dispatch.