Klimt painting looted by Nazis sold to New York museum

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"An oil and gold-encrusted portrait by Gustav Klimt that was the focus of a battle between the Austrian government and the subject's niece was purchased for a record-setting amount by a New York museum, an attorney said.

The 1907 portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer - one of the most recognizable of the 20th century - was sold Sunday by Maria Altmann and her family, said her attorney Steven Thomas.

The price was not disclosed by Thomas, but he said it eclipsed the prior record of $104.1 million paid atauction for Picasso's 1905 "Boy With a Pipe (The Young Apprentice)."

The Klimt painting will now be displayed at the Neue Galerie, a New York museum of German and Austrian art cofounded by cosmetics mogul Ronald S. Lauder."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/728623.html

[Lorien]

1. Here's the painting:

[wordpix2]

10. thanks, I love this artist's work

[REP]

2. It's Hardly Enough

I'm glad the family regained control of the painting. It can't undo what's been done to them, but at least when they see it now, they'll know it's where they decided it should be.

Klimt's work is gorgeous. Here's my favorite picture of the artist:

[Heidi]

5. One of my absolute favorite painters, ever.

His use of goldleaf was exquisite. (And I have that very Klimt-and-kitty photo in one of my Klimt books. Thank you for the reminder, REP. :pals:)

[REP]

9. I Found This Website By Accident

http://www.laks.com/english/klimtmuseum_main.html

If you haven't seen it, you might want to drop by, even if you have all his works in a book; the site has almost all his works online, and several pictures of the artist and a few other nice things that make it worth dropping by.

I can't think of a Klimt work I don't like, and I can stare at the landscapes for hours ... I agree, his use of gold is exquisite, as is his use of color.

[Heidi]

11. Thank you, REP!

:hug:

(I'm a big fan of Egon Schiele, too, though much of his work has a melancholy about it that many don't like.)

[xchrom]

3. the neue gallerie is gorgeous and has

other klimt paintings.

it's a fascinating walk through austrian and german art in the twentieth century.

[Heidi]

6. Why am I not surprised that you're also a Klimt fan?

:hug:

[xchrom]

12. lol -- it's all that gold...

[autorank]

4. One my favorite paintings - a masterpiece. K&R

Adele Bloch-Bauer I:
(Title)
1907 (140 Kb); Oil and gold on canvas, 138 x 138; Austrian Gallery, Vienna
Adele Bloch-Bauer clasping her hands (she had a deformed finger). Dressed in gold, surrounded by gold. A very gold picture.

...it belongs in New York. What a great story.

The Kiss

[Heidi]

7. One of the first cards Call Me Wesley ever gave me

has "Il Bacio" on it. (Yes, I still have it.)

:hi: autorank!

[Fovea]

8. OMFG!!!

What wonderful news to have it on display!


Now tell me that they have found a dozen more
1918 works by Egon Shiele and I will lose my mind officially.
Right there before he and his wife died of Spanish Influenza (better called Kansas Influenza),
he did a series of portraits, like the one of Paris Gutersloh sitting in a chair that
are as good as portraits get.

But being able to see the Klimpt is wonderful, and a rare triumph
for the viewing public.

[tocqueville]

13. I thought it was the "Fallen Madonna with the big boobies" by Van Clomp

understandable only for fans of allo, allo