A late-life masterpiece by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold to a Hong Kong collector for £85.3 million (US$108.4 million), making it the most expensive artwork ever auctioned in Europe. Gustav Klimt, Forest of Beech Trees, 1902, Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden, Germany. WikiArt (public domain). Klimt loved patterns, particularly those he saw in Byzantine icons and mosaics. He included intricate patterns in many of his well-known works, often in clothing and backgrounds. In Klimt’s landscape paintings like Forest of Beech Trees Months after the Austrian government returned Altmann's family's belongings, she consigned the Klimt paintings to the auction house Christie's to be sold on behalf of her family. The painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) was sold to cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder for $135 million, at the time the highest sum ever paid for a painting. Gustav Klimt paintings are often regarded as the most exquisite works of art of the 20th century. So, what are his priciest works ever sold at auctions? Gustav Klimt's Death and Life), 1910-15, oil on canvas, Leopold Museum, Vienna, Austria. Corbis via Getty Images. Key Facts. “is art worth more than life? More than food? More than justice Artprice is the world leader of art market information with a coverage of more than 700,000 artists of fine art with over 30 millions auction results and indices of per group (up to 7) Big Tour of Gustav Klimt’s Art in Vienna: Belvedere, Secession & Leopold Museum with Skip-the-Line Tickets. 3. Historical Tours. from. $283.63. per adult (price varies by group size) Skip-the-line Belvedere Palace Guided Tour with Transfers. 1. Gustav Klimt, the second of seven children, was born on July 14, 1862 outside Vienna. At the age of 14, Gustav received a scholarship for the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule. His family was not wealthy, and Klimt applied himself to his studies. A talented student, he worked with his professors and classmates on important commissions while still studying. tPzB.