--- experts confirmed the painting was the prized Klimt, which had been stolen from the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza, Italy, almost 23 years ago, and that it is now valued around $60 million.

THIS IS CRAZY!!

I'm sure the artist was poor!

I'm sure the artist was poor!

Often artist are extremely poor and get reckon after their death!

THAT IS A WONDERFUL STORY.

But why so expensive, who decides the price-up?

Recent sales of Klimt's works have fetched up to $170 million. Oprah sold one that she had, to a buyer in China, for $150 million.

That is because Gustav Klimt had used (during his "Golden period") real gold and silver in his paintings. Guilding it on, along with using mother-of-pearl buttons, cut opaline glass buttons, stained glass set into metal, and small mirrored plates.

He received an award from an Emperor (of Austria), and high society women wanted their portraits done by him, even a Baroness. Lots of women wanted to have sexual relations with him. (He fathered 14 children.)

  Yet he shunned society and lived away from it all.  The ladies came to him to have their portraits done.  He received a lot of criticism for painting too erotically (lots of exposed female parts).

He wasn't poor as an artist, although he did start out very poor as a child- one of seven children.

I hope this was fun info. 

(One last interesting thing.) He was a character.Where he lived, as an adult,  he wore  just a robe. Nothing underneath, no underwear. I wonder if he had none as a child, and just got used to it?

Saw this thread on the room advertisements, and had to jump in. We have a copy of one of his paintings, "The  Kiss",  as our living room picture. It has been a conversation-starter.

     :)

Astounding collection, and further more in real gold and silver!!!?  

Done like gold-leaf, I read that the gold was 5% copper.

Whatever it might have been, it looks gorgeous!

So darn BEAUTIFUL!!!!

WHO GETS THE MONEY OF THE SOLD PAINTING?

That was a good question.

The painting is part of the museum's permanent collection. It belongs to the museum right now. They were saying how much it is valued at, how much it is worth. I bet the museum will display it for a while.

Then they  have some choices:  to keep it, or auction it off to the highest bidder, or ... I wonder, when museums send famous paintings on tours around the world, like there will be a group of artworks that go together for a show, I bet the museums make money that way off the pictures- just keep it and send it on a tour with other paintings.
I think, if it was me, I would auction it off.