Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Gustav Klimt is one of the most celebrated and sought-after artists of the 20th century. His sensual and ornate paintings of women, such as “The Kiss” and “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I,” have fetched record-breaking prices at auctions and inspired countless imitations and adaptations. But one of his portraits has remained hidden from the public eye for almost a century, until now.
The “Portrait of Fräulein Lieser,” painted in 1917, is a stunning example of Klimt’s late style, which combined realism and abstraction, and reflected his fascination with Japanese art. The painting shows a young woman in a blue dress holding a fan, with a gold and green background that evokes a garden or a forest. The woman’s identity is unknown, but she may have been a friend or a lover of the artist, who was notorious for his affairs.
The painting was last seen in public in 1925, at an exhibition in Vienna, where Klimt lived and worked until his death in 1918. Since then, the painting has been in the same family for four generations, who kept it as a treasured heirloom. The painting was rediscovered by Sotheby’s experts who visited the family’s home in Europe and recognized it as a Klimt masterpiece.
The painting is one of only two portraits by Klimt that are still in private hands, and the other one is unlikely to ever come to the market. The painting is also one of the last works by Klimt, who died of a stroke at the age of 55, leaving behind many unfinished paintings and sketches. The painting is a testament to Klimt’s artistic genius and his enduring influence on modern art.
The painting will be offered for sale at Sotheby’s London on March 1, as part of the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale. The painting is estimated to fetch between $40 million and $54 million, which would make it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold at a European auction. The painting will also be on view in New York, Hong Kong, and Taipei, before returning to London for the sale.
The auction of the painting is a rare opportunity for art lovers and collectors to own a piece of history and a glimpse into the mystery and magic of Klimt’s lost portrait.
