Gustav Klimt’s iconic painting Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer has been sold at auction in New York for $236.4 million. The record-breaking result was announced on the official X account of the auction house.

The work has become the most expensive lot in the modern art category in the history of Sotheby’s auctions. The buyer’s identity has not yet been disclosed.

Klimt painted Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer between 1914 and 1916. The artwork depicts the daughter of Austrian industrialist August Lederer, one of the artist’s notable patrons. Elisabeth appears in a festive gown adorned with Klimt’s signature decorative motifs.

For comparison, the overall record for the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction still belongs to Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, purchased at Christie’s in 2017 for $450.3 million.

Photo: Sotheby’s

Yesterday, Sotheby’s concluded an auction held as part of Paris Haute Couture Week. Among the featured lots was the original Hermès bag created for singer and actress Jane Birkin in 1984.

The iconic accessory was expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of euros. However, including commission, the final sale price exceeded all expectations. The symbolic item was sold for €8.6 million.

The new owner of the bag is a private collector from Japan. The auction lasted a total of 13.5 minutes.

As a reminder, the now-famous bag was born out of a chance encounter between Jane Birkin and then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. The actress dropped the contents of her handbag and complained to her fellow passenger that she couldn’t find a spacious and practical bag for everyday use. Her seatmate turned out to be the head of Hermès, and he invited Birkin to the company’s headquarters. Together, they sketched out the design of what would become one of the fashion house’s most iconic pieces.

Photo: Instagram @sothebys, @hermes

Victoria Beckham has decided to try herself as an art curator by partnering with the auction house Sotheby’s. The designer has organized a mini-exhibition of contemporary art in her London boutique, located in the prestigious Mayfair district.

As part of her collaboration with Sotheby’s, Victoria has gathered a stunning collection of artworks, including pieces by legendary 20th and 21st-century masters such as Yoshitomo Nara, George Condo, Keith Haring, Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Joan Mitchell, Gerhard Richter, and Yves Klein.

Today is the final day of the exhibition, after which the paintings will head to auctions in New York and London or find new owners through private sales.

It is worth noting that this is not Victoria’s first collaboration with Sotheby’s. In June 2018, she already presented a collection of paintings in her flagship store. The designer personally selected 16 portraits by so-called Old Masters, belonging to European painting before the 19th century. These artworks were put up for sale at Sotheby’s the same year.

«I’m so thrilled to collaborate with Sotheby’s again on this incredible selection of contemporary art in my flagship store in London. Art has always been a source of inspiration, and over the years, I have enjoyed learning and evolving. It has the power to expand ideas, evoke emotions, and speak about the world around us», Victoria wrote on her social media.

Beckham shared that her interest in collecting began in childhood. A friend of her mother used to give Victoria empty Chanel No. 5 perfume bottles, which she arranged in her room. The first serious artwork she and David acquired was in the 2000s – a painting by Julian Schnabel, which later served as inspiration for the color palette of Victoria’s Fall 2024 collection.

Since then, she and her husband David have actively expanded their collection. And when the designer opened her own boutique, she decided to merge fashion and culture within its space.

Photo: Instagram @victoriabeckham