Mäda Primavesi's expression and attitude give a remarkable degree of self-confidence to a nine-year-old girl, even a girl who, according to her own words, was deliberate and a wild singer. Klimt made numerous preliminary sketches for this portrait, experimenting with different poses, outfits and backgrounds before deciding to leave Mäda in a specially made dress amidst an abundance of spring-like patterns. The image bears witness to the refined taste of her parents, banker and industrialist Otto Primavesi and his wife Eugenia, who were fervent supporters of progressive Viennese art and design. Klimt soon painted Eugenia's portrait (Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Japan).
