Public prosecutors in Vienna have ordered the seizure of a Gustav Klimt painting sold for €15 million ($16.4 million) at TEFAF Maastricht in March.
The seizure was requested by Hungarian authorities, who claim that the work was improperly exported and must be returned to Hungary. The painting was considered lost for 80 years, before being rediscovered in 2023, after an unknown man attempted to sell it to a Viennese gallery. After being authenticated, the painting was sold for €15 million or $16.4 in March of this year.
The painting belonged to Kleins, a Jewish Austrian wine dealer family, who purchased the painting after Klimt’s death. They fled Austria after the Nazi annexation in 1938, entrusting the painting to a woman, who later moved to Hungary. The painting was never returned to Kleins despite many requests and over the past 80 years changed many hands.
According to Austrian Der Standard, the painting was exported to Austria from Hungary in 2023. The painting was inspected by the Hungarian authorities and declared safe, “This authorized its export.” Paintings that are not in the property of the creator are subject to export approval, by Hungarian authorities, if they are more than 50 years old and their value exceeds 1 million forints, or the equivalent of around €2,500 (about $2,800). A stamp indicating that the painting came from the Gustav Klimt estate may not have been seen by the authorities.
The painting's reappearance has now taken on a political dimension. The current owner is permitted to sell it under an agreement based on the 1998 Washington Principles governing the restitution of property seized from Holocaust victims. Despite the evidence pointing to the legality of the export and the consequential transaction taken place in March, Hungary is still claiming the painting was exported illegally and is demanding it be given back.
