 In mid-1903 Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer commissioned Klimt to paint a portrait of his wife; he wished to give the piece to Adele's parents as an anniversary present that October.Klimt drew over a hundred preparatory sketches for the portrait between 1903 and 1904.The Bloch-Bauers purchased some of the sketches he had made of Adele when they obtained 16 Klimt drawings.