Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Nadeem Badshah

Gustav Klimt’s Lady with a Fan sells for £85.3m, breaking European record

Employee position an artwork entitled 'Dame mit Facher (Lady with a Fan)' by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt
Dame mit Facher (Lady with a Fan) by Gustav Klimt went to a Hong Kong collector after a 10-minute bidding war. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Gustav Klimt’s painting Dame mit Fächer (Lady with a Fan) has sold for £85.3m at Sotheby’s, becoming the most valuable work of art ever sold at auction in Europe.

In its first market appearance in 29 years, the late Austrian painter’s final masterpiece exceeded pre-sale expectations of £65m when it went under the hammer in London on Tuesday, and also set a new record for the artist.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.