Gustav Klimt portrait sells for R4 billion

Chante Ho Hip

Chante Ho Hip

19 November 2025 | 11:30

Six bidders battled it out for 20 minutes at the Sotheby’s auction.

Gustav Klimt portrait sells for R4 billion

Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Sotheby's

A Gustav Klimt portrait painting broke records this week when it sold for $236 million (R4 billion) at an auction in New York.

This makes it the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction and the most expensive work of modern art sold at auction.

The portrait titled Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer (portrait of Elisabeth Lederer) was one of a few items by the Austrian artist that survived World War II intact.

It was part of the collection of late billionaire Leonard A. Lauder, heir to the cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Companies.

The sale of Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer sets a new record for a Klimt painting at auction, surpassing the $108 million record set by the sale of Lady with a Fan in 2023.

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