It was no secret that Klimt had many lovers, one of which was Adèle Bloch-Bauer whom he painted several times.  Records show that he also had a number of illegitimate children with his lover.  But it was Emilie Flöge the he spent twenty-seven years of his life with.  Despite the length of time together, however, Klimt never got around to formalizing his union with Emilie.
 
   In 1902, Klimt painted this portrait of her.  There is no symbolism here; in fact, there seems to be a painstaking effort to paint her with so much vivid realism.  Notice how both hands take a very natural position: the left hand perched on the hip, and the right hand’s fingers slightly folded.  It is very typical of Klimt’s portraits to show loving detail and character.  In this case, Emilie’s hands express some tension.  Tie that up with the restraint in her face hinting us of some mystery.  Putting those elements together, Klimt paints a very enigmatic portrait of her.
 
   Technically, Françoise Ducros, analyzes the painting this way:

"The network of informal lines and motifs of the dress, where blue and green shine with gold, is handled with extreme finesse, as are the aureole of colors and abstract forms which frames the face and thick hair..."