For finews.art, the curtain was lifted Friday to reveal a long-hidden treasure: Gustav Klimt's «Miss Lieser». This masterpiece, which spent a century in a Sleeping Beauty slumber, was unveiled in an exclusive presentation at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Zurich. Next week the artwork will be shown in Hong Kong.
The ceremony, permeated with an almost sacred reverence, did absolute justice to the significance of this artwork. Christof Buri from the Liechtenstein Royal Bank LGT, Michael Kovacek, managing director of the auction house Im Kinsky in Vienna, and Johann Kräftner, director of the Liechtenstein Museum until 2023, were present in the distinguished circle on Friday.
Their participation underscored the deep connection between LGT Bank, the manager of the Princely Collections of Liechtenstein, and the Im Kinsky auction house. After the work was already shown to selected interested parties in Vienna, London, and Geneva in recent weeks, it will be transported to Hong Kong in the coming days, where it will be exhibited again at the Peninsula Hotel.
Auction Sensation Looming
«Miss Lieser» will then be auctioned on April 24, 2024, in a groundbreaking live auction that will also be televised. The odyssey of the painting is as fascinating as the history of the painting itself.
The upcoming auction of «Miss Lieser» is on the verge of becoming an auction sensation. With Klimt's «Lady with a Fan» nearing a record 100 million euros at Sotheby's, expectations are high with a starting price of 30 million. Experts already believe that this auction could exceed the magical 100-million mark.
Emotional and Historical Background
The narrative behind the work, attributed to Lilly Lieser, a patroness tragically murdered, weaves a deep historical and emotional fabric into the story of this painting. It is believed that the portrait passed into private hands from the Viennese art trade in the 1960s, although clear evidence of a sale under Nazi duress is lacking.
However, in the spirit of the Washington Principles, a fair agreement was reached between the current owners and the descendants of the Lieser family, paving the way for this remarkable auction.
More to follow.
