A painting by Gustav Klimt has sold for a record $236.4 million, becoming the second most expensive work of art ever sold at auction and the most expensive modern work of art in auction history.
The 1.8 meter tall painting, titled “Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer”, was created by the famous artist Klimt between 1914 and 1916.
The work depicts a young heiress, daughter of the artist's patrons, Elisabeth Lederer, in a Chinese gown.
Six people bid during the 20-minute bidding at Sotheby's auction in New York on Tuesday evening. The auction house declined to reveal the identity of the buyer.
The work was confiscated by the Nazis and nearly burned in a World War II fire, but in 1948 was returned to Erich Lederer, Elisabeth's brother and a frequent figure in paintings by Klimt's close friend and colleague, artist Egon Schiele.
The painting remained in Erich's collection for most of his life until its sale in 1983, two years before his death.
By 1985, the painting was in the private collection of Leonard A. Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder conglomerate. He displayed it in his apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York and loaned it to several galleries for short periods. Lauder died in June of this year at the age of 92.
Art historian Emily Braun, who advised Mr. Lauder for nearly four decades, said it was the “crown jewel” of his collection.
This is one of only two full-length portraits by Klimt remaining in private hands.
Before the auction, many experts predicted the painting would fetch more than $150 million. However, the final price far exceeded expectations, accounting for more than 40% of the total value of Mr. Lauder's collection.
At $236.4 million, "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" set a new record for a Klimt at auction, surpassing the $108 million set by "Lady with a Fan" in 2023.
The most expensive work of art ever sold at auction remains Leonardo da Vinci's “Salvator Mundi,” which fetched $450.3 million in 2017.
Source: https://congluan.vn/buc-chan-dung-cua-klimt-dat-236-4-trieu-usd-lap-ky-luc-dau-gia-10318476.html
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