Elizabeth,

                                                  from my Klimt series, a range based on the portraits of elaborately dressed Austrian society women by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918).  Elisabeth Bachofen-Echt the daughter of August and Serena Lederer, Klimt's most important patrons, was painted in 1916.  She wears an elaborate white flowered dress and for the background, like Monet and van Gogh, Klimt drew on Japanese art for birds, animals and figures. These shoes echo the pale dress with subtle impressed flower patterning on the creamy background contrasting with the areas of oriental motifs in rich enamel decals on the toe and sides. A deep velvety red bow on the front and platinum beads along the top edge finish off the design.  The shape of the shoe is based on those made by the Italian shoemaker Pietro Yantorny (1874-1936), the self-proclaimed "most expensive shoemaker in the world" who created shoes only for the wealthiest women.