A rediscovered early work by Austrian master Gustav Klimt is making waves in the art world after being lost for nearly 90 years. The 1897 portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, a representative of the Ga people from present-day Ghana, is now on public display for the first time in decades at TEFAF Maastricht, one of the world’s most prestigious art fairs. The asking price? A staggering €15 million ($16.3 million).
A Lost Klimt Masterpiece Resurfaces
For years, art historians believed the painting had vanished after it was last recorded in the 1930s. That changed in 2023 when two collectors approached Viennese gallery Wienerroither & Kohlbacher (W&K) with a dirt-covered canvas bearing a faint Klimt estate stamp. Art historian Alfred Weidinger, who had been searching for the work for two decades, quickly authenticated the portrait, confirming it as a missing Klimt masterpiece.
A Journey Through Time
Originally auctioned from Klimt’s estate in 1923, the painting later belonged to Viennese couple Ernestine and Felix Klein, who converted Klimt’s studio into a villa. The Kleins fled to Monaco in 1938, escaping Nazi persecution, and the painting’s whereabouts remained a mystery until its recent discovery. Following a restitution settlement with the Klein family heirs, the artwork has now been fully restored and unveiled to the public.
A Glimpse Into Klimt’s Evolution
Klimt painted the portrait during the Vienna Völkerschau of 1897, an ethnographic exhibition displaying people from European colonies—a controversial practice of the time. Research suggests Prince Dowuona traveled from Osu, Ghana, to Vienna as part of this exhibition, and the portrait may have been a commission that ultimately remained with Klimt.
Weidinger notes the piece marks Klimt’s stylistic shift toward more decorative elements, a defining characteristic of his later works, including his world-famous “The Kiss.”
A Record-Breaking Legacy
Klimt’s name continues to dominate the art market. In 2023, his final masterpiece, a portrait of a woman with a fan, shattered records at $108.4 million, becoming the most expensive artwork ever sold at a European auction. Another recovered Klimt painting, “Portrait of Fräulein Lieser,” fetched €30 million ($32 million) last year.
With his legacy growing and lost works still being unearthed, Klimt’s influence remains as golden as his famous canvases.
