English translation: high-spirited, intense, vivacious, vibrant
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„Klimt malt die Frau seiner Zeit. Die Struktur ihres Gerüstes, die Kontur ihrer Formen, die Modellierung ihres Fleisches, die Maschinerie ihrer Bewegungen hat er bis in die geheimsten Wesensfasern verfolgt und seinem Gedächtnis für immer eingeprägt. Auf diesem sicheren, festen Boden stehend, variiert er das Thema des Weibes in all seinen Beziehungen zur Schöpfung, zur Natur. Bald grausam wollüstig, bald heiter sinnlich, malt er Frauen voll rätselhaftem Reiz. Der schillernde Fleischton ihres schlanken Körpers, der phosphoreszierende Glanz der Haut, der quadratische Schnitt des breitgewölbten Schädels und die sündhaft rötliche Mähne geben ein Ganzes
von tiefster psychologischer und malerischer Wirkung. Im Portrait schafft er **nervige,** rassige, lebensdurstige
oder lebensverträumte Frauengestalten, die alle trotz ihrer charakteristischen Verschiedenheiten von Klimts
Gnaden sind. Als Idealfigur aber löst er den Frauenkörper in herrliche, dekorative Linien auf. Alles Zufällige,
alles Individuell-Charakteristische fällt ab, nur das rein Typische, der sublimierte Extrakt des modernen Frauentypus, wie der Künstler ihn ausgelöst hat, bleibt in vollster Stilreinheit zurück.“
Even 'nervy', like the race horses suggested elsewhere.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 hrs (2012-02-10 22:52:04 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I don't believe that this is a physical description as sinewy would suggest, but rather a description of an emotional state or constitutional way of being.
@Nicole
You may be perfectly correct. I admit that this time I did not research as intensively as I usually do. This answer obviously depends on who wrore the quoted description AND WHEN. My knowledge of art is very skimpy. By the way, nervig has long since ceased to be only teenager speak!
Is a term that is usually used to describe the elegance and the refinement of an Arabian horse or a thoroughbred. Example: "The skin is exceptionally fine, meaning that the veins, bones and tendons are easily visible, giving a sculptural appearance, often referred to as 'dryness'". http://books.google.com/books?id=SlUpv_e0JIsC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA...
Seemes like I've been too fast :))) or forgetful since I was doing other things as well ... Yes Ms you didn't mention a specific painting... nevertheless it's good to have a time frame for reference to the Zeitgeist:.. Freud,hysteria, mikrocosm etc... could well be that Bertha thought some of the women portrayed were annoying or disturbing in those times but I would opt for the nerve related vocabulary to add a facet to the lebensdurstig ... meaning the psychology behind the red shoe phenomenon. all the best
If the quote is describing a particular portrait, it isn't mentioned in the text as I have it. It comes from the book "Zeitkunst Wien 1904-1907" if that's of any help.
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Answers
25 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
sinewy
Explanation: would fit.
Parrot Spain Local time: 03:58 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
