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The Ministry of Construction and Transport filed a complaint in the case of Gustav Klimt’s painting entitled Portrait of an African Prince. As reported by Forbes.hu, the artwork was taken out of the country by misleading the Hungarian art supervision authority with false information and a manipulated image.
In 2023, a private individual applied to the art supervision authority for an export license for the painting in his possession, stating its value as 50,000 forints (EUR 125). Based on the information provided by the applicant and the photograph, the authority determined that the export of the artwork from the country did not require a permit under the law on the protection of cultural heritage.
During the investigation, it was found that the applicant had provided false information in the application and had not indicated that the painting bore a stamp identifying it as part of the Klimt estate.
The purpose of the export was also misrepresented, as the painting was not moved to Austria, but later appeared at art and antiques fairs in Maastricht, Netherlands, and New York.
Portrait of Gustav Klimt. Photo: Wikipedia
In May, the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard revealed that the portrait, which had been hidden for a hundred years, may have been brought to Austria from Hungary. In March, the Vienna-based Wienerroither & Kohlbacher Gallery presented it at one of the most prestigious art fairs.
Now the Ministry is initiating a change in the relevant legislation so that artworks are always inspected during proceedings, and they are also urging to declare the Klimt painting a protected artwork.
Via Forbes; Featured image: Wikipedia