An auctioneer’s hammer blow at Sotheby’s London on Tuesday ended a 10-minute bidding war and set a new record for the most expensive work of art ever sold in Europe. ‘Lady with a Fan’ by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt has sold for £74 million plus a buyer’s premium for a total of £85.3 million, or approximately US$108.77 million.
The 1918 painting returned to the market for the first time in 30 years, and the crowded showroom at the Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction was “full of anticipation,” Sotheby’s said in a press release.
“Lady with a Fan”, oil on canvas by Gustav Klimt. Getty Images
“The arresting depiction of a nude figure, found on the easel in his studio at the time of his death, demonstrates how Klimt explored a new approach to color and form, resulting in a masterpiece by an artist at the height of his creativity,” said Sotheby’s.
After a bidding war between four buyers, some in the room and others calling, the painting sold for a price that surpassed the previous European auction record of US$104.3 million in 2010, set for Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture Walking Man I,” the Associated Press reported.
Click here to view related media.
Click to expand
This is followed by a 10-minute bidding battle between 4 bidders #SothebysLondonGustav Klimt’s last masterpiece “Lady with a Fan” set a new auction record for Klimt and became the most valuable work of art ever auctioned in Europe: https://t.co/pWguIRHn6d
— Sotheby’s (@Sotheby’s) June 27, 2023
The sale was the second highest price for a portrait ever sold at auction worldwide. Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’, which sold for $450 million at auction in 2017, remains the most expensive painting ever sold – although some art historians have doubted the true provenance of the masterpiece.
“Lady with a Fan (Lady with a Fan) is an absolute testament to Klimt’s artistic genius – a work that captured the imagination of all viewers. It was an honor to see such high levels of enthusiasm here in London tonight and to see the painting in such high demand,” said Helena Newman, auctioneer and chair of Sotheby’s Europe, in a statement.
“Obviously it’s the greatest honor to win a work that has fittingly made auction history,” said Newman.
trending news
S. Dev
Continue reading