At $236 Million, Klimt Piece Is Second Most Expensive Painting Sold at Auction NYT | Top Stories By: Zachary Small and Julia Halperin 19 November 2025 at 11:32 At $236.4 million, a portrait by Gustav Klimt is the second most expensive painting at auction, while Maurizio Cattelan’s golden toilet drew $12.1 million. © Tony Cenicola/The New York TimesModern art history: The auctioneer at Sotheby’s, Oliver Barker, hammered down a final bid on a portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Klimt.
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