Mäda Primavesi

Mäda Primavesi was about nine years old when Klimt painted her. She stands in a white dress, feet planted apart and hands behind her back, looking straight out at us with total confidence. Around her the background explodes into color: a lilac wall scattered with small flowers, and a floor patterned with pink, green and blue shapes. Klimt usually painted grand ladies in jewel-like settings, and he gives this girl the same importance. She clearly has opinions of her own. Even more than a hundred years later, it’s hard not to feel that she has just walked in and taken charge of the room.

Look closely

1. Look at how she is standing. What does it tell you about her?
2. Find the flowers in the background and on her dress.
3. Look at the floor at her feet. What shapes and colors do you see?

While you sit

A child who knows exactly who she is. Let a little of that steadiness find its way to you.

Your seat in the galleries: a playful bench of lilac and pink cushioned cubes.