Today, the Auktionshaus im Kinsky in Vienna is hosting the sale of Gustav Klimt's long-lost masterpiece, 'Bildnis Fräulein Lieser' or 'Portrait of Miss Lieser.' The painting, with a house estimate of $30 million to $50 million, is a significant event not only for art enthusiasts but also for those interested in the life of this renowned artist.
Commissioned by the prominent Lieser family in Vienna, the painting was left unfinished and unsigned by Klimt upon his sudden death in 1918. It remained in the possession of the Liesers, escaping confiscation by the Nazis during the tumultuous period of 1939-1945. The painting resurfaced in 1960 in the hands of another Viennese family, where it remained largely unnoticed until now.
