
On November 18, 2025, Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer sold for $236.4 million after a 20‑minute bidding war at Sotheby’s in New York. The six‑foot‑tall painting, created between 1914 and 1916, depicts Elisabeth Lederer, the daughter of one of Vienna’s wealthiest families, adorned in flowing garments inspired by East Asian design. The sale not only set a record for modern art but also underscored the enduring power of Klimt’s work in the global market.