The Lady In Gold: The Extraordinary Tale Of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait Of Adele Bloch-Bauer (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I would probably give this book three and a half stars. It is not as well written as Hare with the Amber Eyes (which I highly recommend), but it is fascinating account of Klimt, Adele Bloch, and the tragic history of the famous portrait which Austria returned to her niece, Maria Altmann in 2006. As much as it is the story of Klimt and Adele, it is also,the story of fin-de siècle Vienna 's "second society" of wealthy Jewish families, the Jewish elite that Milan Kundera called "the intellectual cement " of Middle Europe. It is also the story of the 21st century legal case brought against Austria for the return of the Bloch-Bauer family art which eventually to the US Supreme Court. I was able to see many of Klimt's works over 20 years ago in Austria. Unfortunately, once the group of paintings were returned, the family sold them. To me it is very sad that they are no longer in a public museum and I am afraid I agree with the NY Times art critic who wrote "A story about art and redemption after the Holocaust has devolved into yet another tale of the crazy, intoxicating art market." I did read on Wikipedia that "In the Fall of 2014, Adele Bloch-Bauer II was given as a special long-term loan to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, by the esteemed private owner who purchased the painting at a November 2006 Sale of Impressionist & Modern art at Christie's New York." But the portraits of Adele (I and II ) are no longer together for the public to contemplate. While this is a compelling story of fin de siècle Vienna and the lives of the Jewish elite at that time, it would have been very helpful to have a brief cast of characters at the beginning of the book. Once she deals with Klimt's life and the major figures in the Bloch-Bauer families, there are a great number of characters she briefly brings up periodically with very little sense of who they are. It's an episodic work, jumping around chronologically, which works stylistically. I found similarities to THE HARE WITH THE AMBER EYES, which is a far superior work.
What do You think about The Lady In Gold: The Extraordinary Tale Of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait Of Adele Bloch-Bauer (2012)?
Fantastic! Visited the Neue Galerie in New York City and saw the original.Outstanding!!
—tsunthar
I really enjoyed this book. It's taught me a lot while telling moving stories.
—katie
What a fascinating history of empowerment and betrayal.
—Abbs
