The "Lady with a Fan" is one of Klimt's last two paintings. The picture was still on the artist's easel in his studio when Klimt died. It fetched over $10 million at auction in 1994. It belongs to Klimt's "Golden Style". Inspired by Byzantine mosaics, he added ornamental areas of color to a golden bed like gemstones. His depictions of the body possess a subtle eroticism, the forms of which dissolve into ornamental, but also geometric areas of color. The "lady with a fan" wears a wide, kimono-like dress decorated with motifs of a Chinese dragon robe. Asian motifs cover the background. A phoenix can be seen behind "Wally's" head, whose tail feathers look like an extension of the hairstyle, next to it a heron or crane and lotus blossoms.

The phoenix is a symbol of immortality and rebirth. In China it stands for luck and loyalty, just like the heron, the crane stands for a happy, old age. In the Chinese tradition, the lotus blossoms can be interpreted as a symbol of love and a happy marriage, in Buddhism they stand for the teachings of Buddha and are generally a symbol of purity.

Original: 1917/18, oil on canvas, private collection.

Painting as a brilliant reproduction in the Fine Art Giclée process on artist canvas made of 100% cotton, on a stretcher. Limited edition of 499 copies. Manufactory real wood frame with strip surface in Passau platinum. Format approx. 77 x 77 cm.