It is a work that is certainly worth the trip. For Gustav Klimt’s *Nuda Veritas* is not only one of the Viennese artist’s masterpieces but also a painting that intrigues – and then challenges – the viewer. It prompts reflections that go beyond mere admiration of the work.

This is a truly exceptional opportunity to stand face to face with this sensational painting, which, from 21 May to 6 September, is on display at Villa Manin in an exhibition organised by the Regional Authority for Cultural Heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia – ERPAC FVG in partnership with MondoMostre, in collaboration with the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Theatermuseum in Vienna. The exhibition is curated by Cäcilia Bischoff.

The loan of Gustav Klimt’s ‘Nuda Veritas’ represents a cultural event of great international significance and bears witness to the importance of European cultural dialogue in the sharing of masterpieces. The work, made available thanks to the collaboration with the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Theatermuseum, testifies to the prestige achieved by the Friuli region within the European art scene. ‘Nuda Veritas’ is regarded as one of the most intense expressions of artistic modernity, capable of combining aesthetic beauty with ethical reflection.

The painting depicts a nude woman, her nudity deliberately displayed, even brazen, and entirely different from the depictions of female nudes of the time. This is a self-assured woman who meets the gaze of those who judge her, without fear. The “Nuda Veritas”, “with her curls and her wicked, fanatical mouth’, was painted by Gustav Klimt in 1899. It is an oil on canvas, measuring 252 x 56.2 centimetres, and is housed at the Theatermuseum in Vienna.

The orange glow of her curls and pubic hair stands out against her white body, drawing the eye. But this is a display intended not to captivate the senses but the intellect. For the truth is powerful; it commands attention, almost taking centre stage. And no one can keep it hidden. The eye then fixates on the mirror she holds, not turned towards herself but towards the observer: an invitation to reflect; almost a defiant gesture. The gaze widens to a pearly, iridescent sky, to the snake slithering up the woman’s leg, to the plump magnolia blossoms… Nothing here is random; it feels as though we are witnessing – perhaps unable to fully decipher it – a powerful, vital coded message. Klimt did not paint a ‘nude’ in the guise of an allegory, but rather painted an allegory in the guise of nudity. Truth is a precarious construct. Strangely indecisive and lacking in definition. Ambivalent and ambiguous, yet even the indistinct night has its own qualities, for ‘darkness not only veils things, but can also protect and conceal them’. The composition, resembling a column that almost touches the figure’s feet and head, is framed by two gilded panels bearing inscriptions. The serpent rises from the frame, close to the viewer and at the centre of the composition, climbing over the lower panel bearing the inscription ‘Nuda Veritas’. With its steel-blue body outlined in black and its piercing eyes, the reptile moves away from us, wraps itself around the woman’s calves and and then turns back towards us. Two dandelion heads serve as bright points of light.

The inscription on the upper panel reads: “Kannst du nicht gefallen durch deine Tat und dein Kunstwerk, Mach es wenigen recht. Vielen gefallen ist schlimm.” (“If you cannot please everyone with your work and your art, please just a few. To please many is wrong. Schiller.”)

Although dated 1899, Klimt painted this masterpiece in 1898, and in March 1899 the work was included in the fourth Secession exhibition.

More than a century after its creation, “Nuda Veritas” retains a striking social relevance: Klimt depicts a figure who defies public judgement and forcefully asserts the freedom to be seen, heard and recognised without compromise.

In the Central Hall of Villa Manin, ‘Nuda Veritas’ is displayed in an elegant and, so to speak, timeless manner. The context and further details are provided on the accompanying information panels. In the first two rooms, before reaching the painting, Klimt’s links with Italy are explored and his biography is presented. The next room is dedicated to the work’s multiple layers of meaning, as ‘Nuda Veritas’ is more complex than its title might suggest. After visitors have had the chance to admire Klimt’s fascinating masterpiece at their leisure, the theme of the ‘many truths’ is revisited in a creative way. Finally, in the last room, visitors are drawn into the real world of Villa Manin with a reference to the historic wall decorations.

Gustav Klimt was one of the leading figures of late 19th-century modern Vienna, contributing to the shift away from historicist styles towards modern art.

The painting engages in an ideal dialogue with the frescoes by Louis Dorigny preserved at Villa Manin, which explore themes such as desire, identity, beauty and transformation. Villa Manin, a historic site linked to the Treaty of Campoformio, thus becomes a space where historical memory and contemporary art converge.

‘The presence of the “Nuda Veritas” at Villa Manin makes it possible to establish a dialogue between this reflection on uncompromising truth and a place which, in historical terms, also marks a paradigm shift.
Once the residence of the last Doge of Venice and Napoleon’s headquarters, the villa was the setting for the Treaty of Campoformio, which marked the end of the Venetian Republic and reshaped the political balance of power in Europe: a place of memories and a threshold space, now transformed into an exhibition venue.”
Mario Anzil, Vice-President and Regional Councillor for Culture and Sport

‘We have built a solid and recognisable programme, guided by principles that place international collaborations at the centre, reinforced by the reputation we have established through the results achieved during 2025 and the first part of 2026. It is within this framework that ERPAC FVG plays its role in promoting and enhancing the region’s cultural heritage, through initiatives that combine scientific rigour with accessibility to the general public. The opportunity to host Gustav Klimt’s *Nuda Veritas* – which, incidentally, is on its final leg of the exhibition tour – represents, in this sense, a truly exceptional occasion: a work that is not merely to be admired, but which deeply challenges the viewer. This choice also holds particular significance for Villa Manin, where an aesthetic dialogue is established between Klimt’s artistic vision and the Villa’s architectural identity, in relation also to its historic decorative elements, creating a dialogue that enhances both.”
Lydia Alessio-Vernì, Director-General of the Regional Cultural Heritage Authority – ERPAC FVG

‘Gustav Klimt’s *Nuda Veritas* embodies an artistic vision that conceives of truth not as a comfort zone, but as an intellectual challenge. Presenting this iconic masterpiece from the Theatermuseum in Vienna at Villa Manin is therefore also a European gesture of profound significance: the cultural ties between Vienna and Italy, between Viennese Modernism and the Mediterranean world, have long been part of a shared European history of
ideas and artistic exchange. Particularly in an age of strategic falsehoods and renewed social tensions, Klimt’s work reminds us that Europe has always also been a project of openness, of dialogue on truth and of artistic freedom.”
Jonathan Fine, Director General of the KHM Museum Association

‘The arrival of Gustav Klimt’s *Nuda Veritas* at Villa Manin represents a significant opportunity for international collaboration, thanks to the generous loan from the KHM-Museumsverband. This is an exceptional work, rarely loaned out, which offers the public the chance to experience at close quarters one of the most iconic masterpieces of European modernity. We are proud to partner with ERPAC FVG on a project that reaffirms Villa Manin’s status as a premier venue for international exhibitions and a place for dialogue between European heritage, histories and cultures.”
Simone Todorow di San Giorgio, Managing Director of MondoMostre