Adele Bloch-Bauer I

painting by Gustav Klimt

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July 17, 2026

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Adele Bloch-Bauer I is a renowned painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, created in 1907. Klimt, a leading figure of Art Nouveau, was known for his decorative style, often incorporating gold leaf. This portrait, also known as The Lady in Gold, depicts Adele Bloch-Bauer, a prominent Viennese patron of the arts.

During World War II, the painting was confiscated by the Nazis and later housed in Vienna's Belvedere Museum. Following a legal battle by the Bloch-Bauer heirs, the painting was returned to the family in 2006 and subsequently sold for a record price. It is now on permanent display at the Neue Galerie in New York City. Klimt also painted a second portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Adele Bloch-Bauer II, which was also returned to the heirs and later sold for $150 million.12

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Gustav Klimt
The Kiss and portraits
…as Fritza Riedler (1906) and Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907). In these works he treats the human figure without shadow and heightens the lush sensuality of skin by surrounding it with areas of flat, highly ornamental, brilliantly composed areas of decoration.
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…as Fritza Riedler (1906) and Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907). In these works he treats the human figure without shadow and heightens the lush sensuality of skin by surrounding it with areas of flat, highly ornamental, brilliantly composed areas of decoration.
Read More