Gustav Klimt’s ‘Portrait of Miss Lieser,’ a long-lost masterpiece, has resurfaced and sold for an astounding €30 million at an auction in Vienna. This unfinished work of art, depicting a young woman, was once believed lost, but it was later discovered hanging in a private villa near Vienna for decades. The auction house, Im Kinsky, referred to the rediscovery as ‘magnificent.’
The painting was privately held in Austria for many years before being inherited by its current owners from distant relatives approximately two years ago. Works by Gustav Klimt rarely appear on the art market, making this discovery particularly noteworthy.
The ‘Portrait of Miss Lieser’ dates back to Klimt’s final creative period and features a young woman posed sternly against a vibrant red backdrop. She is adorned with a floral-embellished cape, a testament to the artist’s signature Art Nouveau style. The Lieser family, who commissioned the portrait, belonged to Vienna’s prosperous upper-middle class. During the Nazi era, they faced persecution due to their Jewish heritage.
Extensive research conducted by the auction house revealed no evidence that the painting was confiscated during that time. However, they also acknowledged the absence of proof indicating that it wasn’t looted between 1938 and 1945.
According to well-documented sources, Klimt began work on the painting in May 1917. At the time of his untimely demise in February 1918, only minor portions of the work remained incomplete.
