A long-lost portrait by Austrian master Gustav Klimt has resurfaced after nearly a century, captivating the art world with its historical and cultural significance, per cnn.com. The painting, a 1897 depiction of Prince William NII Nortey Dowuona of the Ga people in present-day Ghana, is now on display at the prestigious TEFAF Maastricht art fair in the Netherlands. Priced at €15 million ($16.3 million), the small but striking portrait marks a rare glimpse into Klimt’s early stylistic evolution and colonial-era Vienna.
The artwork, measuring just over 2 feet tall, was rediscovered in 2023 by two collectors who brought it to Vienna’s Wienerroither & Kohlbacher (W&K) gallery. Initially “heavily soiled” and bearing a barely visible estate stamp, the painting underwent extensive restoration and authentication by art historian Alfred Weidinger, who had spent two decades searching for it.
The portrait’s journey is steeped in history. Commissioned during the 1897 Vienna Völkerschau—a colonial-era ethnographic exhibition—it remained in Klimt’s possession until his estate auctioned it in 1923. Later, it was loaned to a 1928 exhibition by Ernestine Klein, a Jewish art patron who fled Vienna in 1938 amid Nazi persecution. The painting’s whereabouts remained unknown until its recent rediscovery and restitution to Klein’s heirs.
This rediscovery adds to Klimt’s legacy, showcasing his transition toward the decorative elements that defined his later masterpieces, such as The Kiss. It also highlights the growing interest in colonial-era narratives and the restitution of artworks with complex histories.
The unveiling follows a record-breaking year for Klimt, with his *Portrait of Fräulein Lieser* fetching €30 million ($32 million) in 2024. As the art world gathers at TEFAF Maastricht, this portrait of an African prince stands as a testament to Klimt’s enduring allure and the untold stories behind his works.
- Featured image credit: W&K – Wienerroither & Kohlbach
