Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer” Breaks Modern Art Record With $236M Sale
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer has shattered auction records, selling for an astonishing $236.4 million at Sotheby’s in New York. The sale marks the highest price ever paid for a modern art piece, surpassing Andy Warhol’s 2022 Marilyn Monroe portrait, which sold for $195 million
The Klimt masterpiece ignited a 20-minute bidding war, ultimately becoming the centerpiece of an auction that also featured Maurizio Cattelan’s solid gold toilet, which sold for $12.1 million.
A Painting That Helped Save a Life During the Holocaust
Created between 1914 and 1916, the six-foot-tall portrait depicts Elisabeth Lederer—the daughter of a prominent Viennese family—draped in an East Asian emperor’s cloak. While the painting is celebrated for its artistic brilliance, it also carries a remarkable and haunting history.
When Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938, the Lederer family’s art collection was looted. Ironically, their portraits were left behind because they were viewed as “too Jewish” to be valuable. During this period, Elisabeth Lederer claimed Gustav Klimt was her father, a lie that helped protect her from persecution. With assistance from a powerful Nazi official connected to her family, she obtained documentation asserting her fictitious lineage and remained in Vienna until her death in 1944.
The painting later entered the renowned collection of billionaire Leonard A. Lauder, who passed away in 2025. Lauder’s art holdings—valued at more than $400 million—were auctioned at Sotheby’s, with five Klimt works selling for a combined $392 million.
A Showcase of Masterpieces at Sotheby’s
The landmark auction featured important works not only by Klimt but also by Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Edvard Munch. However, all eyes were on Klimt’s portrait, one of only two full-length Klimt paintings still in private hands. The painting had previously been exhibited on loan at the National Gallery of Canada.
The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed.
Maurizio Cattelan’s Gold Toilet Fetches $12.1 Million
Another headline-grabbing item was Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous 18-karat gold toilet titled America. Weighing 223 pounds, the fully functional artwork sold for $12.1 million. The piece—intended as a satire of wealth and consumer culture—was previously shown at the Guggenheim Museum and later stolen from Blenheim Palace in a notorious art theft.
Sotheby’s described the sculpture as “an incisive commentary on the intersection of artistry and commodity value.”
A Historic Night in the Art Market
The sale of Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer not only cements Klimt’s enduring legacy but also underscores the growing global demand for rare 20th-century masterpieces. With its extraordinary backstory and record-breaking price, the portrait now stands as one of the most significant art sales in modern history.
source: apnews
