Klimt Painting That Disappeared For Nearly A Century Sells For €30 Million
Video screenshot via Auktionshaus im Kinsky
A long-lost Gustav Klimt portrait has reemerged from the shadows, waltzing its way onto the auction block and fetching a cool €30 million (US$32 million). Titled Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, the unfinished masterpiece depicts a young woman with dark hair and is believed to be one of the Austrian symbolist master's final creations before his brush met its final rest in 1918.
Klimt began work on Portrait of Fräulein Lieser in 1917, a mere year before his passing. The painting was likely commissioned by the Lieser family, prominent Viennese patrons and members of the city’s Jewish community. While the identity of Fräulein Lieser herself remains a mystery—some experts propose she could be one of the Lieser daughters—the artwork was discovered partially finished in Klimt’s studio upon his death and subsequently returned to the family.
Painting at Bedtime.
— Peter Jones (@PeterJones40) April 24, 2024
Portrait of Miss Lieser.
Gustave Klimt.
This painting, which has essentially been missing for the best part of 100 years, or at least not exhibited, has recently been sold in Vienna for 30 million euros. It is unfinished and may be Helene Liesel. pic.twitter.com/QghRtKGW3a
The Portrait of Fräulein Lieser then embarks on a journey shrouded in secrecy. Fleeing the rising tide of fascism in the 1930s, the Lieser family was forced to abandon Austria, leaving behind most of their possessions. The painting's whereabouts between its last documented sighting at a 1925 exhibition and its resurfacing in 2024 remain a puzzle, a gap encompassing the dark reign of the Nazi regime. The artwork’s reappearance earlier this year, having been apparently held in a private collection for decades, sent shockwaves across the art world.
Despite the unanswered questions surrounding its provenance, the auction of Portrait of Fräulein Lieser was a landmark event. The final gavel strike cemented the piece as Austria's most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, shattering the previous record of just over €7 million held by a Frans Francken the Younger work since 2010.
Image © Auktionshaus im Kinsky GmbH, Wien
The winning bidder emerged as a Hong Kong purchaser, represented by Patti Wong & Associates.
Due to the overwhelming interest, the auction house, im Kinsky, has announced additional free public viewings of the Klimt painting on April 29 and 30, and May 2 and 3, granting enthusiasts a rare chance to witness this resurrected masterpiece up close.
[via CBS News and Artnet News, images via various sources]
