Portrait of Baroness Bachofen-Echt Gustav Klimt An Aftermath collotype, 1931

Original 1931 collotype created from Gustav Kilmt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer (formerly titled Portrait of Baroness Bachofen-Echt), oil on canvas, c. 1914. Published by Max Eisler and printed by Österreichischer Staatsdruckerei (Austrian State Printing Office), Vienna, in an edition of 500. Paper measures 17.88 x 18.63 inches. In 1931, Max Eisler published the most notable posthumous collection of Gustav Klimt works to date. Using a complex gravure process, Klimt’s original oil paintings were painstakingly reproduced as collotype prints on Chine-collé, a thin, tissue-like paper which was bonded to a heavier cream wove backing paper during the striking of the image. This world-class example of collotype captures the superb resolution and color-richness of the original 1918 oil painting. Elisabeth Lederer (formerly Baroness Bachofen-Echt), member of a prominent Jewish family and daughter of Klimt's most supportive patrons, claimed that Klimt was her father to avoid deportation and lived under SS supervision until her death in 1944. While her portrait survived, the Lederer Klimt Collection was stolen by Nazis and stored in a castle, which was destroyed by fire on May 8, 1945- the final day of World War II. This piece arrives accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Century Guild has curated collections of Gustav Klimt’s printed works on paper for over twenty years. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about this artwork.