A portrait painted by Austrian Gustav Klimt, sold for $236.4 million (204 million euros) by Sotheby’s on Tuesday in New York, became the second most expensive work ever sold at auction, after Mundi Saviorattributed to Leonardo da Vinci, sold for $450 million in 2017.
Six buyers argued for twenty minutes Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer (1914-1916), estimated at $150 million, depicts the daughter of the painter’s principal patron in white Chinese imperial dress, in front of a blue tapestry with an Asian-inspired motif. Sotheby’s did not immediately reveal the name of the buyer.
Like Portrait of Elisabeth Lederera full-sized portrait created by Gustav Klimt during his flagship period (between 1912 and 1917) is “very rarely”explained Sotheby’s in its press release. Most are part of large museum collections, only a few are owned by private collectors.
Estee Lauder heiress collection
For the Austrian artist, the previous auction record was held by Woman with fan (1917-1918), sold for 85.3 million pounds sterling (98.9 million euros) in London in 2023.
Several other works by the artist were sold at the same auction on Tuesday, including his own The meadow is blooming (c. 1908) for 86 million dollars and that Forest slopes on Unterach am Attersee (1916) for $68.3 million. These paintings, as well as two studies for portraits that sold for $520,700 and $482,600, were part of the collection of Leonard A. Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics empire, who died in June at age 92.
Sold Thursday by Sotheby’s in New York, Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait is likely to become the most expensive painting by a woman. Estimated at between 40 and 60 million dollars, this 1940 painting is titled Dream (Room) depicts him sleeping in a bed facing a large frame. By far the most expensive painting by a female artist is American Georgia O’Keeffe’s 1932 work, which sold for $44.4 million in 2014. Frida Kahlo’s record is another self-portrait from 1949, Diego and mewhich sold for $34.4 million, in 2021, in New York.
