Hope II, a painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, was created between 1907 and 1908. The painting depicts a pregnant woman with closed eyes, while a death’s head peeps out from behind her stomach. This work of art is made of oil, gold, and platinum on canvas, and measures 43.5 by 43.5 inches in size.
Three women with bowed heads and raised hands appear at the woman’s feet, implying mourning for the potential fate of the child. Notably, Klimt also painted another work titled Hope I in 1903 that depicted a heavily pregnant woman named Herma. Hope II is often referred to as Vision and is one of Klimt’s lesser-studied works.
From an artistic perspective, Hope II uses color tonality and symbolic shapes to convey its message about motherhood and childbirth. Klimt was known for his unique style that focused on eroticism while shunning societal and artistic conventions in his personal life.
Hope II is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection which acquired it in 1978. However lesser studied it may be compared to others works by Klimt such as The Kiss or Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Portrait Of Adele).
