Klimt's painting sold for a record $236 million: auction details.

According to Korrespondent.net: In New York, at a Sotheby’s auction, one of the most valuable works of Austrian modernist Gustav Klimt - 'Portrait of Elizabeth Lederer' - was sold.

The painting went under the hammer for $236.4 million, as reported by France 24. This is the second most expensive work ever sold at auction, after Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi', which was purchased for $450 million in 2017.

For the 'Portrait', created between 1914 and 1916, six bidders competed for 20 minutes. The painting features the daughter of one of Klimt's main patrons - young Elizabeth Lederer in a white Chinese imperial dress against the backdrop of a blue tapestry with Asian motifs. Sotheby’s did not disclose the buyer's name.

Rarity of the work

Representatives of the auction house emphasized that Klimt's works of this type rarely appear on the market.

“Full-length portraits from this period of his creative peak are incredibly rare. Most of them have long been held in museum collections. As of today, only two such commissioned portraits have remained in private hands”

Other sales at the auction

At the same auction, several other works by Klimt from the collection of Estee Lauder heir Leonard Lauder, who passed away earlier this year, were sold. 'Blooming Meadow' fetched $86 million, while 'Forest Slope in Unterach am Attersee' went for $68.3 million. A total of 24 lots from Lauder's collection brought in $527.5 million.

Prior to that, the highest auction price for a Klimt work was 'Lady with a Fan', which was sold in London for $108.8 million in 2023.

Earlier it was reported that a painting by Salvador Dali, bought for £150 at a sale in Cambridge, turned out to be an original work by the artist and could now bring its new owner up to £30 thousand.

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This sale opens a new chapter in the history of art, as Klimt's paintings have always attracted collectors. The market finds it hard to imagine a similar work in a private collection, which is why this auction has generated great interest. Given that Klimt is one of the key figures of modernism, this transaction underscores his significance in the history of art.