In brief
A rediscovered painting of Ghanaian prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona by Gustav Klimt has captured attention at the TEFAF Maastricht fair. The Vienna gallery, Wienerroither and Kohlbacher, has confirmed ongoing negotiations for a sale as art collectors express interest in the piece.
In a noteworthy revelation from the TEFAF Maastricht art fair in the Netherlands, a long-lost portrait by Gustav Klimt has captivated visitors and is now under negotiation for sale. The painting, which depicts Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona against a floral backdrop, was displayed at the Wienerroither and Kohlbacher gallery, with a price tag of 15 million euros (approximately $16.4 million). Lui Wienerroither, the gallery's co-founder, confirmed that discussions are actively underway with a major museum, although he withheld the institution's name. Unlike contemporary arts showcases, sales of high-value items at TEFAF Maastricht typically occur post-event to allow buyers sufficient time for provenance verification and attribution concerns. “Processes of due diligence have to be followed,” remarked Wienerroither regarding the careful sale practices.The portrait features a prince from the Osu people, a community from present-day Ghana, once exhibited in colonial "human zoos" across Europe in the late 19th century. Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, the man in the painting, was displayed in a mock-African village at the Vienna Zoological Gardens in 1896, an event widely covered by the writer Peter Altenberg in his work, “Ashantee.” The painting was rediscovered in 2023 when it was brought to the gallery by an Austrian couple. Initially in poor condition and unsigned, its authenticity was affirmed when the gallery found a faint Gustav Klimt estate stamp on the canvas. Alfred Weidinger, an expert in Klimt's oeuvre, confirmed that this piece was indeed a known portrait of the African prince, whose whereabouts had remained a mystery for decades. Further investigation revealed that Klimt retained the painting until his death in 1918, and it was auctioned from his estate in 1923.This significant find not only sheds light on Klimt’s diverse subject matter but also highlights the ongoing interest in colonial history as represented through art. The negotiations to acquire this important cultural artifact continue as museums look to add to their collections.
