Wouldn’t give you $5 for that": Fans react after Klimt painting sells for whopping $236.4M, becoming the second-most expensive painting ever sold

A portrait by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt was recently sold at a whopping price of $236.4m (£179m) in New York. According to CNN, on Tuesday, the bid made it the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction and the most expensive work of modern art sold at auction.

On November 19, 2025, CNN Breaking News reported on the social media platform X, writing:

“A rare Klimt painting has sold for $236.4 million, becoming the most expensive work of modern art ever sold at an auction.”

After the news broke, netizens were quick to react. Commenting under the tweet, one X user wrote:

“I pretty clearly don’t have an eye or appreciation for art because I wouldn’t give you $5 for that.”

Others also voiced their opinions and shared similar sentiments. While one X user questioned the sale of these expensive paintings, another called out the buyer for not having “enough sense.”

Meanwhile, some painting enthusiasts appeared to share their shocking reactions and tweeted:

Notably, the six-foot-tall artwork by Gustav Klimt is titled Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer. Painted by the Austrian painter between 1914 and 1916, the headline painting also became the most expensive work of art ever sold by Sotheby’s globally.

According to The Guardian, a total of six bidders battled for 20 minutes over the artwork of the young heiress and daughter of Klimt’s patrons, draped in a Chinese robe. While it was a record-breaking night at the Sotheby’s auction on Tuesday, the auction house declined to reveal the identity of the successful buyer of the painting.

Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer explored

Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt at Sotheby's Global Headquarters Grand Opening (Image via Getty)

According to CNN, the portrait of Elisabeth Lederer was made in the last years of the artist’s life. It was reportedly spared from destruction during World War II. The painting was separated from his works that later burned during a fire at Immendorf Castle in Austria.

During the sale, Sotheby’s European chairman, Oliver Barker, detailed the lot. According to CNN, he said it was:

“Really one of the last opportunities to acquire a (portrait) of this significance by the artist.”

While the Nazis looted it in 1938, the painting was returned to Lederer’s brother Erich in 1948. According to the BBC, Erich was a friend and subject of Klimt’s contemporary, Egon Schiele. It remained in Erich’s possession for most of his life, until he sold it in 1983, two years before his death.

Notably, the portrait of Lederer also became a part of the collection of Estée Lauder heir Leonard A. Lauder in 1985. He displayed it in his Fifth Avenue home in New York. Lauder passed away in June at the age of 92.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's sale also surpassed expectations. While the painting was predicted to sell for $150 million before the auction, it smashed expectations, representing more than 40% of the total value of Lauder’s collection.

For the unversed, the second-highest sale for a Klimt on record was Lady with a Fan, which sold for $108.8 million in 2023 in London.

Meanwhile, besides the Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, Tuesday’s event also saw a 220-pound 18-karat gold toilet by the conceptual artist and enfant terrible Maurizio Cattelan getting a single bid.

Edited by Afreen Shaikh