The auction house’s debut at the Breuer was defined by Gustav Klimt’s late portrait soaring to $236.4 million, anchoring the $527.5 million white-glove sale of the Leonard A. Lauder

"Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer," which played a role in protecting the life of its Jewish subject during the Holocaust, sold at Sotheby's for a historic $236.4 million. It's also the most expensive mo

A Gustav Klimt portrait painting has sold for a record $236 million at an auction where a solid gold toilet also sold for $12.1 million.

The top lot of the week was a Klimt portrait from the collection of Leonard Lauder at Sotheby's. It set a new auction record for the artist.

At Sotheby’s first sale in its new headquarters, it became the priciest work of modern art ever sold at auction.

The Austrian painter’s work, Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $236 million on Tuesday. Six bidders sought the piece, which was painted between 1914 and 1916 and was part of a collection from late billionaire Leonard A. Lauder, heir to The Estée Lauder Companies. Sotheby’s did not disclose the buyer’s identity.

At $236.4 million, a portrait by Gustav Klimt is the second most expensive painting sold at auction, while Maurizio Cattelan’s golden toilet drew $12.1 million.

Gustav Klimt's 'Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer,' sold for an astonishing $236.4 million on Tuesday, making it the most expensive auction sale of a work of modern art. The price also means the piece is the second-most valuable work of art that has crossed an auction block.

Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer” (1914–16) sold for $236.4 million USD at Sotheby’s inaugural Breuer Buildin sale, making history as the second most expensive artwork and the most expensive modern artwork ever sold at auction.