The Portrait Of Adele Bloch-Bauer I Sold For $135 Million
Photo Credit: Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Painted by Gustav Klimt in 1904, the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I took three years to finish. The artist used his wife as a model, recreating her in gorgeous detail using oil and gold. In 1938, the work was put under “Protective Custody” by the Nazi party. And by “Protective Custody,” we mean stolen.
In 2006, Maria Altmann, an heiress of the Bloch-Bauer family, was named the rightful owner of the work and it was returned to her. Seeing an opportunity, she decided to sell the painting to the highest bidder. Ronald Lauder paid $135 million for the work putting the selling price of our next painting to shame.
