A recently rediscovered painting by Gustav Klimt, depicting an African prince, has captured attention at the TEFAF Maastricht art fair in the Netherlands. The painting, which was displayed at the booth of Wienerroither and Kohlbacher for 15 million euros ($16.4 million), is currently being negotiated for sale to a major museum.
The work, which portrays Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona against a floral background, was created by the artists when he was a member of a group of Africans from the Gold Coast (now Ghana) who were featured in colonial “human zoos” in Europe. One of the human zoos was displayed in Vienna, where Klimt might have seen the individuals.
The painting came to light in 2023 when an Austrian couple brought the unsigned and poorly framed work into the gallery. The dealers discovered a barely legible Gustav Klimt estate stamp on the back of the canvas and confirmed with Alfred Weidinger, the author of a definitive catalog of Klimt’s works, that Klimt was known to have painted a portrait of a prince of the Osu people in what is now Ghana, although the painting’s location had been unknown for many years.
Subsequent research revealed that the painting was still in Klimt’s possession when he died in 1918 and was sold by auction from his estate in 1923. It was later listed in a 1928 Klimt memorial exhibition in Vienna on loan from a local collector, Ernstine Klein.
Because she was Jewish, Klein and her husband were forced to leave Austria in 1938 when it was annexed by Nazi Germany, and they survived the war in Monaco. According to Wienerroither and Kohlbacher, the painting is now being offered for sale “pursuant to a settlement agreement” between Klein’s heirs and the current owners.
Although it was originally intended to be shown at last year’s TEFAF Maastricht, the painting was withdrawn due to contract issues and the need to ensure that there were no other heirs with a claim on the painting. The current price for the work reflects the fact that it is a small, unsigned early work, although experts believe it represents a significant moment in the artist’s career.
The painting’s background features symbolic floral motifs, which became a staple of Klimt’s later works.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/arts/design/rediscovered-klimt-african-prince.html
