Nearly a century after its last public exhibition, Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Miss Lieser, long considered lost, will be auctioned on April 24 by the Austrian auction house im Kinsky. This exceptional rediscovery has sparked as much enthusiasm as it has questions about the mysterious journey of this masterpiece, estimated to be worth between 30 and 50 million euros.
An Iconic Late-Style Female Portrait by Klimt
Created in 1917, a year before the artist’s death, Portrait of Miss Lieser intensely captures a young woman from the Lieser family, likely Margarethe Constance, daughter of Silvia and Adolf Lieser, or Helene or Annie, daughters of Justus Lieser, Adolf’s brother. The young lady is depicted facing forward, wearing a dress adorned with a blue cape sprinkled with colorful floral patterns, standing out against a background of broad brushstrokes in red. This unfinished portrait, documented by some twenty preparatory drawings made during the nine posing sessions noted in the artist’s notebooks, reflects the stylistic evolution of Klimt towards the end of his career. The vibrant palette and simplified forms mark a departure from the gilding and ornamentation of his earlier works, while maintaining the expressive power characteristic of his art.
Art historian Hansjörg Krug emphasizes the importance of this period in Klimt’s output, exploring new artistic paths while remaining true to his interest in depicting the female figure. Portrait of Miss Lieser illustrates this synthesis between tradition and modernity, between the sensuality of Viennese portraits from the early 20th century and the chromatic boldness of the avant-gardes.
Gustav Klimt "Lady with a Fan" 1917-1918 sold at auction for £85.3 million in 2023 © Sotheby'sA History Marked by Shadows
Despite Klimt’s fame, Portrait of Miss Lieser was known only from a single black-and-white photograph taken during Otto Kallir-Nerenstein’s Klimt exhibition at the Neue Galerie in Vienna in 1925. Thereafter, the work faded into oblivion for nearly a century, fueling speculation about its possible destruction during the war or its disappearance under mysterious circumstances. Its journey during this period remains enigmatic. Left unfinished to the Lieser family after Klimt’s death, the painting could have been plundered during World War II, with several members of this Jewish family falling victim to the Holocaust. The last known owner, Helene Lieser, died in deportation in 1943, casting doubt on the fate of the portrait. It was only in the 1960s that the painting discreetly reappeared among its current holders, raising legitimate questions about its provenance. Under the Washington Agreement of 1998 concerning the restitution of art works confiscated by the Nazis, a contract was established between the descendants of the Lieser family and the owners in case of a dispute.
The im Kinsky house, specializing in Viennese modernism and experienced in handling spoliation cases, asserts that no element indicates confiscation by the Nazis and that the work is not listed for restitution. However, the opacity surrounding the journey of Portrait of Miss Lieser for over three decades leaves lingering shadows that only a thorough investigation could clarify.
A Historic Auction for the European Art Market
The appearance of Portrait of Miss Lieser on the market is as rare as it is exceptional. Klimt’s female portraits, true icons of modern painting, regularly fetch record sums, as evidenced by the sale of Lady with a Fan for over a hundred million euros at Sotheby’s London in June 2023, an unprecedented amount for a work sold at auction in Europe. Though estimated between 30 and 50 million euros, this masterpiece could climb to 70 million, according to experts at im Kinsky. Such an auction would be historic for Austria and Central Europe, where no work of such significant artistic and financial importance has been offered for decades. Before its auction on April 24, the painting will be unveiled to the public during an international exhibition tour in Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. This unique opportunity allows enthusiasts and specialists to rediscover this little-known gem of Klimt’s work, to appreciate the mastery of his touch and the audacity of his palette, and to gauge the decisive influence he has had on his era’s art.
Beyond its market value, Portrait of Miss Lieser embodies Klimt’s timeless talent for capturing the essence of his models and transcending his time. Nearly a century after its creation, it retains all its emotional and aesthetic power, its ability to engage and move us.
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