A portrait created by Gustav Klimt was sold at Sotheby’s auction in New York for a record $236.4 million, making it the second most expensive artwork in history. This was reported by The Guardian.
The painting, depicting Elisabeth Lederer, was stolen by the Nazis and nearly destroyed during World War II.
Initially, it was expected to sell for around $150 million, but the final price significantly exceeded those forecasts.
The canvas, painted between 1914 and 1916, represents a depiction of young Elisabeth Lederer in a Chinese robe, who was the daughter of Klimt's patrons.
According to the publication, there was a bidding war for the painting among six participants, which lasted for 20 minutes. The buyer's name remains unknown.
After the painting was returned to Elisabeth's brother in 1948, it remained with him until 1983. In 1985, it was purchased by Leonard Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder company, who kept it in his home on Fifth Avenue until his death at the age of 92 in June of this year.
Currently, the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction remains Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi," which was sold in 2017 for $450.3 million.
