Austria – Sotheby’s auction house announced the sale of a painting by renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt for a record-breaking $236.4 million, making it the most expensive work of modern art ever sold at auction.
Sotheby’s stated in a press release on its X platform that the painting, titled “Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer,” was sold after a 20-minute bidding war among numerous collectors of rare artworks. The identity of the winning buyer was not disclosed.
The painting’s details and significance: The painting depicts the daughter of two of the artist’s most prominent supporters, and the girl is shown wearing a light, patterned robe. Klimt painted this portrait just two years before his death.
Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) is one of the most famous Austrian painters and a founder of modern art. He was also a leading artist of the Vienna Secession movement. Among his other famous works are his iconic “The Kiss” and “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.”
