CUSTAV KLINlTPortrait of Mâda Primavesi

Máda grew up with the privilege of being the daughter of a family that made ii possible

for her to get acquainted with Klimt from an early age. ln the house of the banking fam-

ily Otto and Eugenia Primavesi in Olmütz (Olomouc), Moravia, enthusiasm for the

painter was as natural as Klimt's visits were frequent. With great difficulty, Klimt finished

the portrait of the daughter just in time for the Christmas celebrations of I9l3 and he

showd it publicly for the first time in Rome in l9l4.r After the ruin of the family's for-

tune, the picture was probably sold in the late 1920s, since it is listed as for sale at the

Klimt commemorative exhibition in 1928.2

ln accorclance with her vocation, Máda, correctly Màda Certrude, Primavesi, born

in Olmütz on 22 December 1903,3 was trained as nursery-school teacher. ln l945, she

emigrated to Canada, where she founded a children's convalescent home in Montreal,

becoming its director. Nevertheless, she kept a pied-à-terre in Vienna to the end.a When

she left Austria, she took the Klimt portrait of her mother (ill. p. 129) with her. She sold

it in 1987.s Her death on 25 May 2000 deprived us not only of Klimt's last surviving

model, but probably also of the last witness who had known Klimt personally.6

Klimt captured no child portrait other than the one of Mâda Primavesi on a can-

vas of this size. The nine-year-old is standing upright. Her eyes meet the viewer's defi-

antly. ln hardly any other portrait does Kllmt make so much use of pairs of opposites on

various levels, and yet he succeeded marvellously in uniting these opposites here.

Màda is represented as neither adult nor child. Safely anchcred, she occupies the

front picture plane while an imaginary space opens behind her. The merging of figure

and ground remains ambivalent. Perspective motifs and two-dimensional elements

meet dialectically. The secure motif of the girl standing with her feet firmly planted con-

trasts with the dissolution of the graphic form. The girl looks unwaveringly forward, but

keeps her hands-which play such a prominent role in the other Klimt portraits-hidden

behind her body.

The silk garment is also ambiguous: it is elaborately adorned with a floral belt

and pleats, but has the effect of a simple little dress. Lines and colours are constantly

changing their relationship. On the one hand, Klimtoutlines elements of form with atur-

quoise contour like the one delineating the body, on the other hand he writes the flower

motifs freely onto the floor, applied with broad, vibrating brushstrokes as if floating like

the water lilies in Monet's pond pictures. The triple wave line in the foreground seems

to be drawn with the greatest ease, the contrast between a pastose application of paint

and places where the canvas is shining through seems effortless. The restlessness of the

search and the weeks of preparation have dlsappeared behind the virtuosity of the

painter's bravura.

c. 1912Oil on canvas, 150 x 110 cm

Marked on the iower right:

"Gustav-/Klimt"

New York, The Metropolitan

Museum or An. Cift ol'Àndrrand Clarr l\4enens. in memory

oI hcr mo her. Jennl PuliLzer

SIciner, I 964.

(Novotny-Dobai No. 179)

The coupie Otto and Eugenia

Primavesi with her four children.

photograph c. 1906. From left to

right: Mâda, otto, Meirtra, and

Lola. Vienna, private collection

I See catalogue of the Roman

Secession's second exhibition,Rome, I 9l 4, room 4, Cat. No. I 2.

With a view of the picture as part ofthe total arrangement, which was

deslgned by Dagobert Peche.

2 See exhib. cat., Vienna I 928,

Cat. No. 63. Obviously the Prima-

, esr tarily s l.lrrl collection l^as

been liquidated at that time. illanyof the Klimt works belongin!t tothem are not unambiguously recog-

nisable in the catalogue, and partic-

ularly ali those clearLy identifiablesuch as Ihe baby or The hope wereon o'fe , urtch (ertaini\ was an lm

mediate consequence of the Prima-

ver' bankrng nouse s oarkruptcrrr 926.3 WStLA, registration office, com'munication of 22 October 1 999.

4 Registered address Wien XlX.,

94 Dóblinger Hauptstralse. Commu'nication from WStLA, registrationoffice. of 22 October I 999; and

inquiry to the residents' registra-

tion oífice, RoBauer Lànde, of I 6

September I 999.5 See Ruth Reif, "Last Klimt to be

sold in Auction', in The New York

Time, 9 May 1987.

6 Communication from her son

Richard Primavesi, l\4ontreal.

TOBIAS G. NATTER

CUSTAV KLII\47

19131 14oil on canvas, 140 x 84 cm

Marked on the lorver right:

"Gustâv-/Klimt"

Toyola, Municipal Museunl ofAn

{Novotny Dobai No. 187J

Otto and Eugenia Primavesi,

photograph c. 1900, Vienna.

private coliection

I tor instance, two years earlierin the portrait of Paula Zucker

kandl. current whereabouts un-

known, see Novotny-Dobai No.

r 78.2 As quoted in Hedwig Steiner,''CJsLa\ K rmt5 BinoLng an'aril;ePrimavesi in Olmüt2", in Màhring'Sch lesi sche H ei mat-V i erteli a h res-

schrift fúr Kultur und Wirtschaft,year I 968, Steinheim-on'L4ain,I 968, No. 4, pp.242-252.3 Cf. Rita Reif. "Last Klimt to be

sold ln Auction". The New York

Times,I May 1987.

Portrait of Eugenia (Mâda) Primavesi

By hiding her behind the caftan-like dress, Klimt leaves open the question

of whether Eugenia Primavesi is represented in a sitting or in a standing

position. The matronly appearance is backed by an arc-like form. This has

been employed previously to organise the pictorial space in the portrait of

Fritza Riedler (ill. p. I l3). lts flower pattern can also be read as a view into

a Klimt landscape. But most importantly, the background shines in a bright

yellow. There, Klimt fits in a Chinese phoenix motif that he has repeatedly

USed in the context of other paintings.r Lines and colours communicate

with each other in a free dialogue, with their relationship being repeatedly

reclefi ned. There is a very dominant turquoise contour line in the face and

breast region in particular, while other colour areas are handled in a purely

painterly way. Heavy, almost crude brushstrol(es contrast with the more

delicate treatment of the flesh tones. Occasionally, the thick application of

paint is reminiscent of cloisonné enamel. Towards the lower edge, the for-

mal description gets ever more generous, more Structural, and the open

canvas plays an ever greater role.

Details about the circumstances of the picture's creation can be

learnt from surviving letters. Early in February 1913, Eugenia Primavesi

writes: "On the eighteenth, lam to sit again."2 Several months later, l(limt

confirms in a letter to Otto Primavesi of 28Juni l9l3: "Dear Sir!With heart-

felt thanks I confirm the receipt of I5,000 crowns (fifteen thousand), which

lhave correctly received as a payment on account for the two portraits'

Yours faithfully, custav l(limt." obviously, the two portraits of Eugenia and

her daughter Máda (ill. p. 127),for which l(limt had also received an order,

were painted at the same time. Máda remembers the sessions in l(limt's

studio: "We went every few months to Vienna and stayed about ten days' I

was a little girl, ancl Professor Klimt was awfully kind. When I became impa-

tient, he would just say, 'Sit for a few minutes longer''"3

Klimt's notorious hesitancy almost prevented the picture's punctual

arrival as a Christmas present. On l9 December I9l3, he apologises: "Dear

Missl Only this evening (Friday) shall I get the frame-the picture will also

take that time-unfortunatelyl Since now, during the holiday, dispatch by

express is very uncertain, lshall send the picture and the frame tomorrow

morning as passenger luggage, possibly on the express train, to OlmÜtz. I

shall buy a ticket to olmütz, check the case as passenger luggage, and

send the receipt by registered post to your address' This way, lwas told,

the picture can be there in one day-and nobody needs to travel with it' I

hope that everything will turn out all right and that you will obtain the pic-

ture in time and that you willforgive me the difficulties I am causing you.-

Unfortunately, I have avery big artist's hangover. lwish you a merry Christ-

TOBIAS G. NATTER

Eugenia Pímavesi in her house

at \^/inkeisdorl photog-aph c.

i 9 1 6. Vienna, private collection

4 Cf. note 2.

5 Sekler 1982, p. l2Tffand No

I 79; see also Strobl, VoL. 2, p.273,and Brandstàtter 1992, p 331.6 See Hanel Koeck, "Mode undCe'e lschaft Jr I 900. Zur Mode-szene ln Wien", in exhib. cat. Wle,um 1 900. Kunst und Kultur.Vlenna/N,4unich I 985, p. 464.7 See losef Hoffmann's rem nlscences, as quoted in Sekler I 982,p. 1 29.8 As quoted in Hedwig Steiner,cf. note 2. For the picture that laterwas hanginq in the Primavesifamily's city domicile n Olmútz,rou Tl-e \,4u.eur of Vloderl A'1.

New York, see Novotny-Dobai No.

I 55, there without mention ofthePrimaves provenance, but with theinformation that until I 9l 4, thepicture was stil unso d.

9 WStLA, post mortem protocol.l0 Verbal communicat on fromthe orardd"ughte'Claudia (le r.Primavesi, Vienna.I I Werner J. Schweiger, WienerWer(statte. h ursr und HandwerlI q03-l 932. \ renna '982, p. 96r;see also Brandstàtter I 992, p. 331,Nebehay, I 992, p. I 44f, and

Cmeiner/Pirhofer I 985, p. 240.

mas and remain trulyyours, Custav Klimt."4This is generally understood as referring to

the Mãda portrait.

It seems that after all, the picture finally arrived in time to be given a place of

honour above the desk in Mr. Primavesi's room. At that time, the Primavesis'new coun-

try residence in Winkelsdorf (Kouty) near the Moravian town of Schónberg was under

construction. Situated in the gorgeous landscape of the Altvater Mountains, the house

became-similar to the Palais Stoclet-an outstanding example of its architect Josef

Hoffmann's conception of the Cesamtkunstwerk.s Here, the unity of art and life that had

so often been called for was realised up to the smallest detail of the interior decoration

and the design of the table cutlery and bed linen. Forms of social life and

festive gatherings were integrated into the total concept.6 Even the clothes

suggested an approach to life in which hospitality and festivity were inte-

gral parts. For the well-being of her guests, Frau Primavesi even kept

records about their individual preferences regarding room, dishes, flowers,

number of cushions etc. She was, however, less successful with her rigid

health regime, which the master of the house and his guests readily circum-

ve nted .7

ln November 1913, the first "Schweindlfest" took place, legendary

domestic feasts, to which Klimt, Hoffmann and Hanak were invited, among

others. More of them followed, enjoying great popularity especially during

the First World War when the supply situation in Vienna was particularly bleak.

There was a special Klimt surprise at the first Christmas celebration after the

family moved into the country house in summer 1914. On 1 January 191 5, Eugenia

reports: "And then here on Christmas Eve with a Klimt picture as a surprise, which I had

liked so much in his studio on that Saturday. lt is called'Vision'and I like it very much

(...)."8 Today, the picture is known as Hope ll.

Eugenia (also Eugenie) Primavesi, née Butschek, was born on l3 June 1874 tn

Langenzersdorf,e the birthplace of the sculptor Anton Hanak, for whom she was an

important patroness. As a girl, Eugenia had drama classes at the Viennese conservatory.

Her first engagement took her to Olmütz (Olomouc), Moravia, where she performed

under the stage name Máda. There she met Otto Primavesi whom she married on l9November 1895. The twenty-one-year-old had then to leave the stage, but she kept the

name Í\4âda and her love for the theatre remained as well. She frequently made use of

complimentary tickets for the proscenium box in the Viennese Burgtheater into her later

years.lo

The banker Otto Primavesi, owner of a prosperous private bank and, like his

wife, from a Catholic family whose roots point to Upper ltaly, was born in OImütz on27

February 1868. The union was blessed with four children: the first-born son Otto, the

daughters Lola, Mãda, and Melitta, the youngest.

The name Primavesi is closely linked with the Wiener Werkstâtte as an institu-

tion. After the founding director Fritz Waerndorfer's failure in 1914, the Primavesi fam-

ily financed the Werkstátte's further existence. Moreover, Otto and Eugenia Primavesi

were members of the supervlsory board, and Otto even became managing director in

l gl5.il

When Otto separated from his wife in 1925, apparently without an official

divorce, he made the company over to her. Frau Primavesi actively supervised the

TOBIAS G. NATTER

Eugenia Prjmavesi, photograplr

by d't)ra, Vienna, c. 1920

Vienna, private colltction

I 2 Schweiger, cf. note I l, p. 72.

I 3 WStLA, reglstratlon off ce,

communlcation of 22 OctoberI 999. Accordlng to other sources,

the date of death was I February.

Burjed ln the fam ly vault in

Ol m ütz.I 4 Schwe ger, cf. .ote I I , pp.

r2rf.) 5 Die Wienert,Uerkstàtte I I 0 3- I 9 2 B-l\4 ad ern es

Kunstgewerbe und sein Weq, cam'memorative volume, Vienna I 929,p. I l. The picture s tit e is "lllâda

Primaves ".

I 6 Schwe qer, cf note I l, p. I 26.

See also Brandstátler, I 992, p. 331;

accord ng to Cmerner/Pirlrofer,p. 240, untll I 928.

l7 Commun callon Claud a KleinDr rd!", . \ e' rta. -o tFe crt) rest

dence ln Olmülz, see Zatioukal,Pavel (ed.), Vila Primavesi v Olo-

mouct, exhib. cat., Art N4useum

Olmülz, Olmütz, 1990.

r d See lelleÍ f.or 'hâ OsIe-re (n

sche Ca er e to Frau PrLmavesi of26 August I 941, archlves of the

OC, entry 30li/l 943, when Frau

Pr mavesi handed over three Klimtpictures to the museum n order toreScue them.

I 9 5ee WStLA, registralion oFfice,

commun cation of 22 Octoberr 999.20 Novotny-Dobai No. I 91. See

also the documentation in Hedwig

Steiner, cF. Note 2.

2l Novotny-Dobai No.2l6. See

tne Fo'fna-n lette- oÍ 5 D"cFabe'I 9l 7 published n Steiner, I 968.

22 Novotny Dobai Nos. 99 and

221.

23 See Nebehay, I 992, esp.p. 230. For the prellminary studiespurchased by the Museum furangewandte Kunst, Vlenna, n

l96l, see Strobl, Vol. 2, Nos.

t8t0 t8.

company's fortunes from that date, having anyway been one of its best customers. ln

order to maintain contact with the customers, she held parties and teas in the Wiener

Werl<stàtte.r2 However, Eugenia Primavesi also failed, as a result of the adversities

caused by financial difficulties and the company's elite conception of itself. Otto Prima-

vesi died on B February 1926. Events in Vienna followed one another in rapid succes-

sion.r3 Within a few weel<s, the composition proceedings had to be instituted over the

WienerWerkstâtre. ln April 1926, the banl<ing house of Primavesi in Olmütz also had to

file its petition.

Werner J. Schweiger comments the Wiener Werkstátte's financial disaster: "The

composition constituted the end of a long series of internal disputes, private and busi-

ness quarrels between the couple Eugenia (Vlâda) and Otto Primavesi, and the resulting

weaknesses in management, exacerbated by the difficult economic situation."r4 But

once again, a composition agreement was reached for the Wiener Werkstâtte. A financial

group led by the young textile industrialist Kuno Crohmann, who was related to Euge-

nia, provided new capital. When, in 1929, a commemorative volume appeared on the

occasion of the Wiener Werkstâtte's twenty-fifth anniversary, it included a reproduction

of l(limt's Primavesi picture.r5 ln 1930, Frau Primavesi withdrew from the Wiener

Werkstátte. Two years later, the liquidation of the company had become inevitable.r6

After losing the Olmütz estates, Vienna became the principal domicile of the

widow who at first lived at 2 Clucl<gasse, Wien Lr7 Eugenia Primavesi died on l3 June

1963 and was buriecl in the Wiener Zentralfriedhof. During the Second World War, she

lived at 39 Schredtgasse, Wien lll.,r8 at last at 39 Neulinggasse.reJosef Hoffmann, who

often visited her, lived just round the corner, in Salesianergasse.

Eugenia Primavesi ancl her husband owned one of the most important l(limt col-

lections. lt included her own portrait and the portrait of the daughter Máda; then the

above-mentioned allegory Hope //. The Primavesis bought a first landscape, Litzlberger-

keller on Lake Atter, in I916.20 A second one followed in the late autumn of l9l 7. This

was probably the Carden landscape with mountain peak, again planned as a Christmas

surprise.2r

According to Novotny-Dobai, the Primavesi family also owned rhe early Farm-

house with rosebush and The baby, which had been purchased at the estate auction at

Nebehay's in l9l9.22 The Primavesis also purchased the preliminary sketches for the

Stoclet-Frieze (ill. p. 233) from Nebehay in 1920.23 And finally, their are the l(limt draw-

ings, some of which are still owned by the descendants.

EUGENIA PRIMAVE

s'tl \#{, ÇDY'

:

..m§.a

irffif\l)

MÀDA PRIMAVES

EUGENIA PRIMAVI