How much are Klimt's paintings worth?
From drawings costing a few tens of thousands of euros to portraits exceeding $200 million, there is no "Klimt Prize". There are radically different works, stories of ownership and degrees of certainty.
From €20,000 to more than $200 million
In the auction room, an authenticated drawing by Klimt can be negotiated in the tens or hundreds of thousands of euros. A major landscape can reach several tens of millions. A large, late, rare, documented and legally secure portrait can exceed 100 million.
The current public summit is the Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer236.36 million dollars sold at Sotheby's in November 2025. The house presents it as the most expensive work in its history and the second most expensive work ever sold at auction, all houses combined.
An exceptional sheet reached €520,000 at Dorotheum in 2024.
Rarity, square format, provenance and quality of the period count strongly.
Large late and golden portraits dominate public and private records.
Elisabeth Lederer changes the scale of the market
The record is not just due to the beauty of the portrait. It combines a monumental format, a figure belonging to one of Klimt's most important patron circles, a late date, a prestigious provenance and an extremely rare presence on the market.
Sold in the Leonard A. Lauder collection, the painting far exceeds Klimt's previous public record. Two landscapes from the same collection confirm the scale of demand: Blumenwiese reached $86 million and Waldabhang bei Unterach am Attersee approximately $68.3 million according to the Sotheby's press release dedicated to the evening.
Klimt's public grand prix
This table compares nominal results published by auction houses. It does not claim to constitute a financial index: each work is unique, the currencies and dates differ.
| Work | Sale date | Result published | Home/precision | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer 1914 - 1916 |
$236.36M | Sotheby's New York, Nov. 18 2025, fees included | Large late portrait, Lederer family, Lauder collection. |
| 2 |
Fan lady 1917 - 1918 |
£85.31m approx. $108 million on the date of sale |
Sotheby's London, June 27, 2023, fees included | Last completed portrait of Klimt, still in the studio when he died. |
| 3 |
Birch forest 1903 |
$104.585 million | Christie's New York, Nov. 9, 2022, fees included | Square landscape, Bloch-Bauer restitution, Paul G. Allen collection. |
| 4 |
Portrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer II 1912 |
$87.936 million | Christie's New York, Nov. 8, 2006 | Returned the same year to the Bloch-Bauer heirs. |
| 5 |
Blumenwiese around 1908 |
$86M | Sotheby's New York, Nov. 18, 2025 | Square floral landscape, Leonard A. Lauder collection. |
| 6 |
Waldabhang bei Unterach 1916 |
approx. $68.3 million | Sotheby's New York, Nov. 18, 2025 | Rare late landscape, Lauder market. |
| 7 |
Bauerngarten 1907 |
£47.971m | Sotheby's London, March 1, 2017, fees included | Square garden, floral surface almost without depth. |
| 8 |
Insel im Attersee around 1901 -1902 |
$53.2M | Sotheby's New York, May 16, 2023, fees included | Acquired after six minutes of auction by a private Japanese collector. |
| 9 |
Litzlberg am Attersee 1915 |
$40.4M | Sotheby's New York, Nov. 2, 2011 | Landscape returned to the heirs of Amalie Redlich. |
| 10 |
Portrait of Gertrud Loew 1902 |
£36.16m | Sotheby's London, June 24, 2026, fees included | Resale of the Lewis Collection, eleven years after the restitution agreement. |
| 11 |
Apple Tree I 1912 |
$33.056 million | Christie's New York, Nov. 8, 2006, fees included | One of four Klimt Bloch-Bauers sold together after restitution. |
| 12 |
Houses at Unterach around 1916 |
$31.376 million | Christie's New York, Nov. 8, 2006, fees included | Late square landscape, also returned to the Bloch-Bauer heirs. |
| 13 |
Landhaus am Attersee 1914 |
$29.128 million | Sotheby's New York, Nov. 5, 2003 | Architecture compressed by vegetation, large square format. |
| 14 |
Kirche in Cassone 1913 |
£26.921m | Sotheby's London, Feb 3 2010, fees included | Voluntary private agreement with heir Zuckerkandl prior to sale. |
Reading: numbering serves as a visual cue, not a universal conversion. Comparing £26.9m in 2010 to $31.4m in 2006 would require choosing an exchange rate and discount method.
The Klimt market beyond three records
These auctions show the depth of the market: almost abstract water, Italian village, commissioned portrait, orchard and architecture of the Attersee are not valued in the same way, but all can exceed 25 million in an exceptional sale.
Insel im Attersee
$53.2MThe lake occupies almost the entire square. A thin dark island is enough to hold back the landscape on the edge of abstraction.
Kirche in Cassone
£26.921mThe first private restitution processed by Sotheby's, according to the house, also becomes a major milestone for the landscapes of Klimt.
Apple Tree I
$33.056 millionThe fruit crown organizes the square like a tapestry. The Bloch-Bauer provenance is fully documented.
Houses at Unterach
$31.376 millionIn this late landscape, the houses become geometric blocks caught between meadow and mountain.
Landhaus am Attersee
$29.128 millionThe white facade almost disappears under the vegetation; architecture becomes a textile motif.
Portrait of Gertrud Loew
£36.16mThe precise face appears to float in a diaphanous white dress, a demonstration of Klimt's pre-golden elegance.
Gertrud Loew: 2015 then 2026
In 2015, the portrait was sold after an agreement between the heirs of Gertrud Loew and the Gustav Klimt Foundation. Eleven years later, he returned to Sotheby's in the Lewis Collection.
The nominal increase is around 46% between the two auctions. This calculation does not subtract holding costs, insurance, taxation or inflation: it should therefore not be presented as a net return.
Portraits and landscapes: two markets, the same rarity
Fan lady
The figure, the Asian background and the status of the last completed work create a rarity almost impossible to reproduce.
Birch forest
A landscape can exceed $100 million when quality, restitution, fame and provenance converge.
Adèle Bloch-Bauer II
The public prize follows historical restitution and global museum visibility.
Blumenwiese
The floral square transforms a meadow into a colorful mosaic, a signature of the most sought-after landscapes.
Bauerngarten
Square format, major period and continuous provenance supported this London record.
Why two Klimts are never worth the same thing
Authenticity
Signature, technique and isolated opinion are not enough. The attribution must be compared to the catalog raisonné, archives, exhibitions and competent specialists.
Provenance
A clear chain of ownership protects value. The gaps between 1933 and 1945 require particularly rigorous research.
Subject and period
Golden portraits, large late portraits and square landscapes of the Attersee focus attention, without making the other works secondary.
Material condition
Support, cracks, repainting, relining, paper, margins and restoration modify the reading and the risk of conservation.
Rarity available
The majority of masterpieces are found in museums. Each major painting brought to market becomes an international event.
Sales context
Prestigious collection, warranty, marketing, bidders' competition, currency and economic situation influence the result of one evening.
Legal history is part of the work
For Klimt, value cannot be separated from the history of Vienna's Jewish collectors, Nazi dispossession, forced transfers and restitutions. A clear provenance is not a narrative premium: it is a fundamental condition of security.
The five Klimt Bloch-Bauers
Returned in 2006 by Austria to the heirs of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, they left their mark on the market. Adele I is then sold privately for $135 million to the Neue Galerie; Adele II reached $87.936 million at Christie's. A private sale should not be confused with a bidding record.
Birch forest
The painting belonged to the Bloch-Bauer family before its seizure after the Anschluss. Returned in 2006, it reached $104.585 million in 2022. The result reflects the work, but also a clarified and documented history.
Portrait of Fräulein Lieser
Rediscovered in Vienna after decades, the unfinished portrait was sold for €30 million by hammer at im Kinsky in April 2024, after an agreement between owners and rights holders. The price with fees varies according to published agreements: hence the importance of naming exactly the basis of the figure.
Litzlberg am Attersee
After restitution to the heirs of Amalie Redlich, the landscape was sold for $40.4 million in 2011. The search for provenance here transforms a contested possession into legally remediated title.
€30 million with a hammer
The Portrait of Fräulein Lieser remember that a price only makes sense when accompanied by its status: here, the hammer price, distinct from the total with fees.
Adèle I: $135 million, but not at auction
In 2006, the Portrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer I acquired for private sale for $135 million by Ronald Lauder for the Neue Galerie in New York.
This amount has long been described as a world record. It remains essential in the history of the Klimt market, but it is not directly comparable to a public auction: the terms of a private transaction are not those of an auction.
Do not compare different objects
Explore Klimt without confusing art and market
The hand-painted reproductions offered by Alpha Reproduction are contemporary decorative objects, clearly distinct from the historical originals listed at auction.
Gustav Klimt
Portraits, landscapes, golden details and symbolist compositions.
FiguresPortraits of Klimt
Face, clothing and ornament united in one surface.
Gold and mosaicGolden period
The most instantly recognizable images of the artist.
AtterseeLandscapes of Klimt
Gardens, forests, orchards and lakes built like tapestries.
Understanding Gustav Klimt's rating
What is the most expensive Klimt painting sold at auction?
The Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, awarded $236.36 million including fees at Sotheby's New York on November 18, 2025.
Does Portrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer I hold the record?
No. It was sold privately for $135 million in 2006. This transaction was historic, but it was not an auction.
How much is an original drawing by Klimt worth?
Results range from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand euros depending on subject, condition, provenance and link to a painting. A study for Judith II reached €520,000 at Dorotheum in 2024.
Is a "Gustav Klimt" signature enough?
No. A signature can be imitated, added or misread. You must examine the support, technique, provenance, catalogs raisonnés and consult a qualified professional.
Why do refunds influence prices?
They clarify legal ownership and reestablish a documentary history. A work whose title to ownership remains contested presents a major risk to the buyer.
What is the most recent Klimt sale cited in this guide?
The Portrait of Gertrud Loew36.16 million pounds sold at Sotheby's London on June 24, 2026. 24.789 million pounds had already been sold in 2015.
How much did Insel im Attersee reach?
Insel im Attersee was sold for $53.2 million at Sotheby's New York on May 16, 2023, after six minutes of bidding.
Does the hammer price include fees?
No. Hammer price is the last accepted auction. The final published price may add buyer's commission and sometimes other items depending on the jurisdiction and home agreement.
How to have a supposed Klimt appraised?
Do not clean the artwork or remove the frame. Photograph front, back, inscriptions and labels, collect invoices and inheritances, then contact a recognized auction house or specialist. Don't rely on an automatic estimate.
Figures and provenances verified
Elisabeth Lederer, Blumenwiese and Waldabhang bei Unterach.
Sotheby's · Fan LadyResult of £85.3058 million in June 2023.
Christie's · Birch forestNotice, origin and result of $104.585 million in 2022.
Christie's · Gustav KlimtArtist Market Results and Summary.
Christie's · Adèle IBackground to the $135 million private sale to Ronald Lauder.
im Kinsky · Fräulein LieserHammer result, history and agreement of the rights holders.
Dorotheum · drawing by KlimtStudy for Judith II, €520,000 in 2024.
Albertina · digital catalogCorpus of about 300 paintings and almost 5,000 drawings.
Sotheby's · BauerngartenResult of £47.97125 million in 2017.
Sotheby's · Gertrud Loew 2026Result of £36.16 million in the Lewis Collection.
Sotheby's · Insel im AtterseeResult of $53.2 million in May 2023.
Sotheby's · Austrian collectionsKirche in Cassone, Litzlberg and the two sales of Gertrud Loew.
Christie's · Bloch-Bauer sale 2006Adèle II, Birch Forest, Apple Tree I and Houses at Unterach, fees included.
Article verified on July 27, 2026. Future results may change the ranking. To go deeper: recognize a Klimt signature and the works destroyed in 1945.
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