Gustav Klimt's "Lady with a Fan" has become the most expensive painting ever sold in Europe, fetching a price of £74 million ($108.77 million) at an auction at Sotheby's London. The 1918 painting, which had not been on the market for 30 years, surpassed the previous European auction record. However, Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" remains the most expensive painting ever sold worldwide.
Gustav Klimt's final portrait, "Dame mit Fächer (Lady with a Fan)" (1917), sold for a record-breaking £85.3m at Sotheby's Modern and contemporary art evening sale in London. The painting accounted for nearly half of the auction's total and surpassed the previous European auction record held by Alberto Giacometti's sculpture. The sultry portrait, depicting a woman with a slipping kimono, received significant attention from Asian bidders due to its Chinese and Japanese motifs. The sale also featured a themed sub-auction focusing on portraits, including works by Frank Auerbach. Despite some works selling below estimate, the auction was considered a strong affirmation of the market's strength.
