The painting by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt "Portrait of Fräulein Lieser", which was considered lost for almost a hundred years, was discovered in Vienna. Currently, it is planned to be sold at auction in the coming months.
The artistic masterpiece, created by Gustav Klimt in 1905, disappeared from the public eye for almost 100 years and was considered one of the mysterious missing works of the Austrian Art Nouveau. The painting was last seen in 1925. What happened next is unknown. However, the current owners claim that the portrait has been in their private collection since the 1960s.
Im Kinsky auction house
Information about the portrait was documented in catalogs of Gustav Klimt's paintings, but experts could only see it through black-and-white photographs. Currently, a color image of the work of the Austrian painter from the later years of his work is available to the art community.
All the secrets were revealed when a group of researchers found the canvas in a private collection in Vienna. Although some details of the investigation remain confidential, it is known that the painting was found as a result of a complex operation to search for and recover lost works of art.
Im Kinsky auction house
It is believed that the painting depicts the daughter of the industrial magnate Adolph Leeser, Margaret Constance. The Lieser family belonged to the wealthy upper class of Viennese society, among which Klimt found his patrons and clients.
The discovery of this portrait, according to experts, is an incredible achievement for the world artistic heritage, since Klimt is considered one of the most outstanding artists of his era.
Im Kinsky auction house
The painting is planned to be sold at the Im Kinsky auction in April. Estimated value, according to auctioneers, will exceed $54 million. The portrait will be put up for sale on behalf of the owners and heirs of the Leeser family. They do this because there are Washington principles of the international agreement on the return of art stolen by the Nazis to the descendants of the people (family heirs) from whom it was taken.
Source: imkinsky.com
