Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer

The Story

Gustav Klimt, an Austrian painter known for his Christian symbolism and gold-leaf technique, was a central figure of the Vienna Secession movement from the late 19th into the early 20th century. His work expressed human identity and emotion through beautiful form and decorative elements, drawing great attention for a distinctive style that crossed the boundary between art and commerce. This work is one of Klimt's representative figure paintings, clearly showing his style and regarded as carrying both artistic value and historical significance at once. Its high price at Sotheby's shows that this work still enjoys great popularity in the contemporary art market, while also proving that Klimt's artistic influence remains as strong as ever.

In the News

Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" sold at a Sotheby's auction for $236.4 million. This is the highest price ever paid for a modern artwork, setting a new auction record for Klimt. This work surpassed Klimt's previous record, held by Pablo Picasso's "Women of Algiers." The auction was decided after 20 minutes of bidding.

Original article · auction page →