Vienna. Long lost and rediscovered works of art are always the subject of sensational stories. The work offered by the “Im Kinsky” auction house in January definitely falls into the category of “discovery of the century”. We are talking about “Fräulein Lieser,” a portrait of a woman by Art Nouveau master Gustav Klimt that was thought lost for decades and was recently rediscovered. Because the Klimt painting “Fräulein Lieser”, which was thought to be lost for a long time but came to light again from obscurity, will be put up for sale at the auction in Palais Kinsky, which is considered to be the most magnificent auction ever held in Austria.
Final preparations are in full swing for the auction of Gustav Klimt’s portrait Fräulein Lieser at the Palais Kinsky. Technical equipment was checked several times, seats were distributed throughout the hall, about 30 media members from Austria and abroad were accredited, areas for TV channels and positions for photographers were determined. The estimated value of the painting is between 30 and 50 million euros, with auction managers expecting the value to go up to 70 million euros. This will be the highest price ever achieved at an auction in Austria.
Approximately 13,000 people attended the preview alone, and a large crowd is now expected. The auction will begin on April 24 at 18:00 at the Palais Kinsky. The event will be broadcast live on the “Puls24” channel with a special program at 16:00.
The legend behind the mysterious painting
Many legends surround the portrait. What is known so far is that the portrait was painted in 1917 and an address is also given: “Owned by Mrs. Lieser, Argentinierstraße 20”.
The portrait was previously known to researchers only from a black and white photograph. Also, it is not 100% certain who the woman is exactly. It is an obvious assumption that the authors of recently published catalogs (Weidinger 2007 and Natter 2012) identified the owner of the painting as “Constance Margarethe Lieser” (1899-1965), daughter of industrial magnate Adolf Lieser. However, she may also have been another member of the Lieser family: Helene Lieser (1898-1962), the first child of Henriette Amalie Lieser-Landau and Justus Lieser (sister of Adolf Lieser), or their younger daughter Annie (1901-1972).
2024-04-24 13:02:01