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Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer
Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer | Anne-Marie O'Connor
The spellbinding story, part fairy tale, part suspense, of Gustav Klimt s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, one of the most emblematic portraits of its time; of the beautiful, seductive Viennese Jewish salon hostess who sat for it; the notorious artist who painted it; the now vanished turn-of-the-century Vienna that shaped it; and the strange twisted fate that befell it. The Lady in Gold, considered an unforgettable masterpiece, one of the twentieth century s most recognizable paintings, made headlines all over the world when Ronald Lauder bought it for $135 million a century after Klimt, the most famous Austrian painter of his time, completed the society portrait. Anne-Marie O Connor, writer for The Washington Post, formerly of the Los Angeles Times, tells the galvanizing story of the Lady in Gold, Adele Bloch-Bauer, a dazzling Viennese Jewish society figure; daughter of the head of one of the largest banks in the Hapsburg Empire, head of the Oriental Railway, whose Orient Express went from Berlin to Constantinople; wife of Ferdinand Bauer, sugar-beet baron. The Bloch-Bauers were art patrons, and Adele herself was considered a rebel of fin de siecle Vienna (she wanted to be educated, a notion considered degenerate in a society that believed women being out in the world went against their feminine nature ). The author describes how Adele inspired the portrait and how Klimt made more than a hundred sketches of her simple pencil drawings on thin manila paper. And O Connor writes of Klimt himself, son of a failed gold engraver, shunned by arts bureaucrats, called an artistic heretic in his time, a genius in ours. She writes of the Nazis confiscating the portrait of Adele from the Bloch-Bauers grand palais; of the Austrian government putting the painting on display, stripping Adele s Jewish surname from it so that no clues to her identity (nor any hint of her Jewish origins) would be revealed. Nazi officials called the painting, The Lady in Gold and proudly exhibited it in Vienna s Baroque Belvedere Palace, consecrated in the 1930s as a Nazi institution. The author writes of the painting, inspired by the Byzantine mosaics Klimt had studied in Italy, with their exotic symbols and swirls, the subject an idol in a golden shrine. We see how, sixty years after it was stolen by the Nazis, the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer became the subject of a decade-long litigation between the Austrian government and the Bloch-Bauer heirs, how and why the U.S. Supreme Court became involved in the case, and how the Court s decision had profound ramifications in the art world. A riveting social history; an illuminating and haunting look at turn-of-the-century Vienna; a brilliant portrait of the evolution of a painter; a masterfully told tale of suspense. And at the heart of it, the Lady in Gold the shimmering painting, and its equally irresistible subject, the fate of each forever intertwined."
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Nute
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#CuriousCovers - Abstract Art: This book has a permanent place on my nightstand. It has remained there since our first encounter in 2013. It‘s on a repeat cycle...bottom-middle-top and then again. When one of my fellow book club members suggested a stronger alliance with extraordinary non-fiction, I sang out the praises of this art history book. I told them that they would be enriched. The experience would benefit them. They voted “Yes!”

Lindy Stacking... 3y
Eggs Gorgeous! 🧡🖤🧡 3y
Deblovestoread Beautiful cover! 3y
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TrishB What a gorgeous pic ♥️ 3y
Cathythoughts I agree ! 💫💫💫beautiful pic 3y
erzascarletbookgasm ✨✨ great pic! 👌 3y
Nute @Lindy Usually I am following in your footsteps, but every now and then I get to impact your reading plans, Ms. Lindy! Yay!😁 3y
Nute @Eggs Thank you, Sherri!💕 3y
Nute @Kdgordon88 The cover art on this book is absolutely beautiful, Ms. Debra. My photograph did it no justice. (edited) 3y
Nute @TrishB @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you! The cover of this book is so gorgeous. It makes it easy to take a nice photo!😊 3y
DivineDiana I loved this book! Did you see the movie with Helen Mirren? Also wonderful! @Cinfhen and I actually went to see the painting at the Neue Gallery in New York. Fabulous! 3y
Cinfhen That was such an extraordinary day @DivineDiana that painting was breathtaking 🙌🏻I could have looked at it all day 3y
Cinfhen And this book is FABULOUS 🥰 3y
DivineDiana @Cinfhen It truly was! Glad we shared it together. 😘 3y
Nute @DivineDiana I haven‘t seen the movie yet. Got much love for Helen Mirren! I‘ll try to locate it! 3y
Nute @DivineDiana @Cinfhen What an experience that must have been! If I can see the beauty of this painting in a photo copy on a book jacket, I know that the real thing must be exquisite in an art gallery exhibit. My heart warms that you ladies got to share that moment together!🥰 3y
DivineDiana Thank you, @Nute. Litsy has brought me much joy! 3y
Cinfhen It was truly amazing @Nute and I agree, going with my lovely friend @DivineDiana made it all the more special 3y
113 likes6 stack adds18 comments
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SconsinBookyBadger
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An embarrassing admittance: I know little of Symbolist artist Gustav Klimt and even less of the true story behind one of his masterpiece paintings the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.

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ElishaLovesBooks
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A little bookstore haul with my bookstore bestie @TracyReadsBooks ♥️♥️ We always have the best time exploring the bookstore together and having dinner out. Last night was bittersweet though- we were saying goodbye to an amazing friend and colleague. She will be missed greatly but books help. They always do.

DivineDiana I agree;books help with everything. 📚 (edited) 5y
QueenJen Hugs! 5y
51 likes2 comments
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mhillis
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This weekend I saw the Klimt exhibit at The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum! And thanks to @Cinfhen I‘m currently reading the tagged book, The Lady in Gold. So glad I made the time to do both of these things! This is going to cover the prompt, something you saw on Litsy, for #nonfiction2019

Nute That‘s a cool ticket for the exhibition. Now that you‘ve seen it. You can use the ticket as a bookmark in the related book.🙂 I read the book a few years ago and I learned so much about the artist, Gustav Klimt and his muse, Adele Bloch-Bauer, from the book and an inspired personal study. I love that kind of reading experience! 5y
batsy Agree with @Nute that's a very cool ticket! And that exhibition must have been something 😍 5y
Cinfhen Yay!!!! So happy you saw the exhibit and you‘re reading the book.Thanks for tagging me♥️ I learnt so much from the book. Definitely one of my favorite NF reads!!!! 5y
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Cathythoughts Beautiful ticket ✨✨✨ 5y
mhillis @Nute @batsy @Cathythoughts Thanks, I‘ll definitely repurpose the ticket as a bookmark! 5y
mhillis @Cinfhen Thank you for the recommendation !! 5y
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Cinfhen
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Tracing the history of the Austrian Jewry from the 1800‘s until WWII, the author introduces us to the Bloch-Bauer Family. Wealthy, established and patrons of the Arts, the family is slowly stripped of their rights, dignities and wealth as Hitler comes to power. When the Nazi‘s steal their artwork, a remaining heir, Maria Altmann, hires a lawyer to make a claim against the National Gallery of Austria for the return of 5 works by Gustav Klimt. 👇🏼

Cinfhen #AnglophileApril #IFoughtTheLaw
The most famous of the paintings was The Woman in Gold - a self portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (aunt of Maria Altmann). I was fortunate to see the painting in NY with my fellow #PhillyGirl @DivineDiana
6y
Cinfhen The painting is exquisite beyond belief 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩a true masterpiece 6y
mhillis This book looks interesting! I think there is a Klimt exhibit in Tokyo now 🤩 6y
See All 38 Comments
BarbaraBB Great story, new to me. 6y
TEArificbooks I loved the movie about this story. 6y
Cinfhen If you can go to the exhibit @mhillis you really should!! His paintings are spectacular and both the book and movie are fantastic @BarbaraBB @mdm139 6y
CafeMom Haven't read the book but the movie was great. Would love to see the painting. 6y
TrishB Sounds like a good read 👍🏻 I‘ve seen one of his exhibitions, wonderful paintings. 6y
Cinfhen The painting above us is a replica @CafeMom @TrishB we weren‘t allowed to photograph the actual painting(s) which were incredible. You should check out the film, Trish if you don‘t fancy the read. There is also a fictionalized story about Adele Bloch -Bauer which is pretty good. @DivineDiana and I are holding the book in our hands 6y
Tanisha_A I have seen the movie, so good! 6y
erzascarletbookgasm Wow, that painting! 🤩 Book sounds good 👍 6y
Lidia I had the fortune of seeing the painting in the museum and it is absolutely beautiful. I loved the story behind it ❤️ 6y
Cathythoughts Gorgeous pics 👍🏻✨✨✨ 6y
Librarybelle I‘ve wanted to read this one! The movie was so powerful. 6y
DivineDiana What a beautiful painting, fantastic book and movie and a very special day!!! 😘📚🖼 6y
Cinfhen We need to plan another outing @DivineDiana Our NY day was so fun!!! I‘m going to email you with my summer dates❣️ 6y
Cinfhen It‘s a MUST read in my opinion @Librarybelle @erzascarletbookgasm and the movie was very well done @Tanisha_A @Cathythoughts I agree @Lidia the painting is spectacular 🙌🏻💕 6y
Billypar I just saw it this weekend! Magnificent - we were hypnotized by it. 6y
Cinfhen Did u go to the Neuve Gallery @Billypar ??!?!! 6y
Billypar Yeah, we were there on Sunday: my family was visiting for Easter. Were you there recently? 6y
Mdargusch Wow! What a great story! I love seeing you and @DivineDiana in that photo! 💛 6y
Cinfhen @DivineDiana and I went exactly a year ago. I was visiting my daughter in the city last March 2018 and Diana and I met up for the day @Billypar That Gallery was beautiful and the painting 😇 6y
Billypar Ah, very nice. We love that gallery: they always have impressive exhibitions and it's hard to beat The Woman in Gold ☺️🖼️ 6y
Reviewsbylola Utterly fascinating, and that artwork! 😍 6y
mabell The painting is gorgeous! 😍 This story reminds of the tagged book I read. I really didn‘t care for the novel, but I did learn a lot about provenance of art and the Nazi looting of personal pieces. The protagonist attorney tries to balance the legal vs. the ethical rights in the fight for ownership. 6y
Cinfhen Tagged book sounds good @mabell I also read this NF about stolen art during WWII that was fantastic 6y
Cinfhen After I read this book I became a bit obsessed about looted art @Reviewsbylola it‘s such an added tragedy of WWII 😢 6y
rubyslippersreads I loved the movie and need to read the book. 6y
Cinfhen The book traces the families history much more in depth than the movie @rubyslippersreads but I liked that aspect a lot. 6y
alisiakae Wow! I love this painting, I didn‘t realize it was one of the looted ones. 6y
LibrarianRyan For me Klimt is like Van Gough. Not my thing and ughhh. That is until I saw one in person. When you get the shine and reflection and the masterful layering everything adds depth and just sucks you in. I have seen Woman I. gold but I have seen The KISS. 6y
LibrarianRyan Btw- have you read. It‘s about what Hitler called Degenerate Art. Much of which was burnt but much still exists. Yes it‘s a kids book, but oh so worth it. I learned a lot of stuff I didn‘t know from this book. 6y
Cinfhen I agree!! The Kiss was also incredible!!!! And your tagged book sounds fascinating @LibrarianRyan thanks for the recommendation #stacked ❣️❣️❣️ 6y
Cinfhen Watch the movie @4thhouseontheleft it‘s a good one!!! 🍿😁 6y
DivineDiana @Cinfhen Yes! Cant wait! 6y
DivineDiana @Mdargusch Thank you! So much fun! 6y
emilyhaldi I saw this exhibit at the Neue Galerie (is that where you were??) so cool!! I loved his self portraits 🖤 6y
Cinfhen Yes @emilyhaldi such a beautiful space!! We had a great day 😍 6y
109 likes2 stack adds38 comments
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MrBook
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Stack 3/12 for the #BlindDateWithABook Display @BookBabe and I are working on. 😁

Have you read any of these?!

#LitsyLovesLibraries #MrBooksDisplays

cobwebmoth V for Vendetta is one of my favorites.🖤 6y
Emilymdxn Yep V for Vendetta! Loved it, should reread sometime 6y
AlaMich The Professor and the Madman was fascinating!! 6y
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Cinfhen
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#SeptemberDanes #FactFiction Two books about the same person, Adele Bauer Bloch,the muse for Gustav Klimt. Austria at the turn of the century was the epicenter of the Arts, Sciences and culture and the majority of patrons, benefactors and contributors were Jewish. Fifty years later more than 80% of those people would be murdered by Hitler and 100% would be stripped of their wealth and dignity. The tagged book really draws you into the history.

vivastory I love Klimt. These both sound really fascinating. 6y
Tanisha_A I have see the movie Woman in Gold, based on Klimt's work by the same name! Good one! 6y
Tanisha_A *have seen 6y
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Kalalalatja Interesting picks! 6y
TrishB Good pick 👍🏻 6y
Cathythoughts All the gold is beautiful 💫 6y
Cinfhen Yes, the movie was really well done @Tanisha_A and I saw the actual painting in NY with @DivineDiana and it‘s magnificent 😍😍😍😍😍 @Cathythoughts (edited) 6y
Cinfhen I really learned a lot from the tagged book @vivastory I highly recommend 6y
julesG What does it say about me that the first thing I noticed was the raised middle finger above the word 'fact'? 🙈 6y
Cinfhen Hahaha @julesg 😂😂😂 6y
Tanisha_A @Cinfhen Oh wow! An amazing experience! 😎 6y
Reviewsbylola Both with gorgeous covers!! 6y
DivineDiana @Cinfhen Perfect day. 😘📚🗽Perfect choices. And we met the author of (edited) 6y
Cinfhen That was such a fun day...im ready to go back @DivineDiana 6y
118 likes5 stack adds14 comments
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DMC_run8
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Pickpick

The lives of the Bloch-Bauers and their friends were so richly detailed I felt as though I knew them personally. Out of all of the WWII novels I've read, this is the first to describe the reluctance of the Austrian government to not only make restitution to its Jewish citizens but also their systematic denial that they did anything wrong. I found the ending of the book far more bittersweet than that of the movie

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BooksCatsMaine
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The rest of my #bookhaul from Carpe Librum! $11 well spent :)

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BooksCatsMaine
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In DC for work and I couldnt resist popping into Carpe Librum. It's for charity! All books are less then $4! Libri carpsi 📚📚📚

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ec27_kat
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Pickpick
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DivineDiana
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After seeing the film,starring Helen Mirren, inspired by this book, I became somewhat obsessed with this story. I had always loved the Klimt paintings but knew nothing of the back story. I read the book and attended a lecture. Still need to see the actual painting! #gold #junetunz

writerlibrarian Good 🎥. Amazing artist. I'm reading about the period right now. 😊 7y
DivineDiana @writerlibrarian Sounds interesting! If you get a chance, I am certain you would love this book! Gustav Klimt was quite a ladies' man! And there are wonderful photographs! (edited) 7y
batsy Love Klimt. This book sounds fascinating. 7y
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Cinfhen Our bookclub devoured this story, soooo good. Absolutely shocking in certain parts 7y
ReadingEnvy My book club read this one too. We all liked the first part best! I would love to read more books set in pre-war Vienna. 7y
CrowCAH Great movie! 7y
DivineDiana @CrowCAH So is the book! 7y
DivineDiana @Cinfhen @ReadingEnvy I can see how this would generate interesting discussion! 📚 7y
83 likes6 stack adds9 comments
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JoeStalksBeck
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My new Klimt socks! ❤️

Emiller Love them!! Where did you get them?? 8y
PatienceFortitude Oooooh I need those 8y
GeekGrl82 This is a great book, by the way. And a pretty decent movie too. 8y
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Laura317 Super socks! And I agree with @GeekGrl82 on both counts. 8y
JoeStalksBeck @Emiller on Wish.com 😃 8y
TheBookStacker Omgsh I love these! 8y
kyraleseberg 😍😍😍 8y
drbethandherkindle Those are awesome!! 8y
LitLogophile Wow! 😍 8y
Sydsavvy Ooooohh!!! Must have!!! 8y
tjramsey75 Yes, please! 8y
Megabooks Love him! 8y
Louise Those are great! 8y
PurpleyPumpkin These are lovely! I have a travel mug with The Kiss painting on it. One of my favs. 💜 8y
cariashley 😍 8y
TheBookHippie I got my pair on Amazon ! I loved the book the movie was good as well! 8y
Jhullie Gorgeous❣ 8y
Sarah83 So wonderful. 😍 I have a bookmark according to this painting 😍 8y
Sace 💗 8y
NatalieR I have those socks too! 💛 8y
161 likes5 stack adds21 comments
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Lidia
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I want that dress! 👗☺️ #dressesincover #ReadJanuary

Cinfhen Have you read the book? It was fascinating! The one book our entire group liked 🙌🏻 8y
LeahBergen This is on my challenge list for this year 😃 8y
Lidia @Cinfhen I'm halfway through it, haven't finished it. The story of the painting is so interesting 8y
CrowCAH I watched the movie and it was very touching! 8y
26 likes1 stack add4 comments
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sofiaga
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These are my last book purchases of the year. How about you? What did you buy or got from Santa ?

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HyacinthGirl
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Merry Bookmas to me!

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Lidia
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First I saw the movie and loved it. Then I just had to go to the Neue Gallery while I was at NY last year to see the painting. It was magical and dazzling... After that I just had to get this book which I'm still reading. #booktober #awardwinning

LeahBergen I bought the book after seeing the movie, too. 😀 8y
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Cinfhen
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#somethingforsept #septphotochallenge I LOVED these books, I ENJOYED the movie adaptation💕 Books Rule📚

writerlibrarian Loved Helen Mirren in Woman in Gold. Amazing art history lesson. 8y
writerlibrarian Hit send too soon. Also an amazing human story. 8y
Cinfhen @writerlibrarian and I found the book to be even more fascinating as it really gives you a strong sense of place and time before WWII and how the painting came into existence. 8y
writerlibrarian @Cinfhen I'll look for the book. Art history is one of my favourite subject to learn, research and read about 8y
ValerieAndBooks I love art history too -- adding this to my stack! @cinfhen @writerlibrarian 8y
23 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
Basement_Bookcase
Pickpick

A rich, complex and heartbreaking world is brought to life in this can't put down book.

The world of Gustav Kilmt and pre-war Vienna is brought to life in a masterful way, highlighting a society history has seemingly forgotten.

O'Connor does an amazing job of bringing this history to life, and highlighting the events of the art world during and after WWII.

A must read for any art lover.

6 likes2 stack adds