Summary
A portrait by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold for $236.4 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, setting a new record for modern art prices. The painting, "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer," played a key role in helping its Jewish subject survive during the Holocaust. The sale surpassed the previous record held by an Andy Warhol piece, with several other notable pieces, including a gold toilet sculpture, also auctioned.
Key Facts
- Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" sold for $236.4 million.
- This sale set a new record for a piece of modern art.
- The portrait helped the Jewish subject survive Nazi persecution during WWII.
- The painting was part of billionaire Leonard A. Lauder's art collection.
- The auction included other famous art pieces by van Gogh, Matisse, and Munch.
- A solid gold toilet, created by artist Maurizio Cattelan, also sold for $12.1 million.
- The Klimt sale surpassed a previous modern art record set by an Andy Warhol painting.
- Sotheby's did not disclose the buyer of Klimt's portrait.
