La Femme, null, 1896

La Femme is a symbolic artwork about being a woman and the expectations of society. A large serpent-like creature coils around a nude woman's feet. The creature doesn’t look angry or threatening—instead, it gazes up at her with something like affection. Still, she is bound to it by a chain. With delicate pencil work and surreal composition, the piece captures Kleen’s personal struggle with the idea of marriage, using irony and symbolism to challenge traditional gender roles.