Gustav Klimt's 'Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer' Sells for Record-Breaking $236.4 Million at Sotheby's

Historic Art Auction at Sotheby's

• 🎨 A masterpiece of Vienna's golden age, Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer," was presented as an unequivocal work of art.
• 💰 The bidding started at $130 million, quickly escalating through multiple increments.

Intense Bidding War

• 📈 The auction saw a fierce bidding war, with the price rapidly climbing from $130 million to $200 million.
• 📞 An anonymous collector ultimately secured the painting via phone after a 20-minute contest.

Record-Breaking Sale

• 💥 The final hammer bid reached $205 million, with the total sale price, including premiums and fees, amounting to a staggering $236.4 million.
• 🏆 This sale set a new record for the most expensive modern artwork ever sold at auction and the highest price for any work of art ever sold at Sotheby's.
• ✨ The painting, created in 1916, is noted for representing the height of Klimt's artistic maturity and his connection with patrons.