Although Klimt was not a prolific painter, he made thousands of drawings. Most of these were linked, albeit loosely, with painting projects. This drawing is thought to be a study for the painting Hope (Hoffnung). In German, 'Hoffnung' can also mean pregnancy. The painting features a naked, pregnant woman, but was originally intended to show a man with his arm held protectively round the woman's shoulders, as in this scene. Klimt's work was concerned with the great subjects of human existence - birth, love, suffering and death. This study of a couple is in keeping with that interest.