A painting by a famous painter that has not been seen for 100 years has been found in Vienna. “Portrait of Mademoiselle Lesser” by Gustav Klimt is up for auction in April. Auction organizers estimate that the value of the work could reach 50 million euros.
“Portrait of Miss Lesser” was owned by a Jewish family living in Austria, and was last seen in public in 1925. The painting was painted by Gustav Klimt in 1917 and likely depicts Margarete Constance Lesser, who was the daughter of industrial magnate Adolf Lesser.
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Gustav Klimt, author of the famous “The Kiss”, among others, died in 1918. “Portrait of Miss Lesser” is one of his last works.
A lost painting by Gustav Klimt. It was last seen in 1925.
“A painting of this rarity, artistic importance and value has not been available on the Central European art market for decades,” Kinski Auctions wrote in a statement.
Until now There was only one black and white photo of the work. In 1925, the painting was photographed during an exhibition dedicated to the artist. His further fate is unclear. Most catalogs of Klimt's work described the painting as “lost”, meaning that it would have been destroyed during the war. According to the auction house, the family of the current owners has owned the painting since the 1960s.
Ernest Bloel, co-director of Kinski Auctions, has confirmed this so far No evidence has been found that the work was looted during World War II.
The painting will be auctioned in April. Kinski Auctions The value of the painting is estimated at between 30 million euros and 50 million euros. The profit from the sale will be split between the current owners and the Lesser family heirs.
Klimt paintings are known for fetching huge prices at art auctions. In June, the painting “The Lady with a Fan” was sold for 85.3 billion euros. It was the most valuable painting ever sold in Europe.
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