The Lady in Gold

The riveting story of Gustav Klimt's most famous painting- how it was created, celebrated, seized by Nazis, and ultimately--after a lengthy and influential court case--restored to its rightful owner.National BestsellerThe true story that inspired the movie Woman in Gold starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds.Contributor to theWashington PostAnne-Marie O'Connor brilliantly regales us with the galvanizing story of Gustav Klimt's 1907 masterpiece-the breathtaking portrait of a Viennese Jewish socialite, Adele Bloch-Bauer. The celebrated painting, stolen by Nazis during World War II, subsequently became the subject of a decade-long dispute between her heirs and the Austrian government.When the U.S. Supreme Court became involved in the case, its decision had profound ramifications in the art world. Expertly researched, masterfully told, The Lady in Gold is at once a stunning depiction of fin-de si cle Vienna, a riveting tale of Nazi war crimes, and a fascinating glimpse into the high-stakes workings of the contemporary art world.One of the Best Books of the Year- The Huffington Post,The Christian Science Monitor.Winner of the Marfield National Award for Arts Writing. Winner of a California Book Award.

“"A book everyone can enjoy . . . wonderful in the way it weaves [Klimt's] life in with the history of the times, the history of the art world, and the impending rise of Hitler . . . fantastic in its implication of so very many groups and individuals in the holocaust itself and the stealing of art in particular." -- The Daily KOS "Illuminating and rewarding . . . compelling." -- The Jewish Journal "A 100-year saga involving sex, genocide, betrayal, a landmark legal battle and millions of dollars . . . harrowing . . . [a] scathing indictment . . . O'Connor gives each of her subjects a dignified historical airing." -- Maclean's "The lives lost and the stories that flow from this one painting will haunt, sadden, anger, and stick with you indefinitely." -- City Book Review "An engrossing history . . . entering into the relationship of artist and model. . . . [A] breathless telling." -- The Vienna Review of Books "Skillfully filters Austria's troubled twentieth century through the life of Klimt's most beloved muse . . . The book's strength lies in the depth of its details . . . offering readers a nuanced view of a painting whose story transcends its own time." -- Bookforum "[A] fascinating story of lust, beauty, greed, loss, prejudice, atrocity, and justice is told here with a wealth of glittering detail." -- The Dispatch "O'Connor . . . skillfully navigates the bizarre orbit of Klimt's masterpiece . . . with depth of insight and righteous indignation. Whether or not you've marveled at Klimt's shimmering portrait before, you won't look at it the same way again." -- Washingtonian ”

“Fascinating. . . . A mesmerizing tale of art and the Holocaust.” —The Washington Post

“A celebration of art and persistence. . . . O’Connor’s book brings Klimt’s exceptional portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer home, broadening the meaning of homeland at the same time.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Ms. O’Connor has told an important story.” —The Wall Street Journal
 
“O’Connor skillfully filters Austria’s troubled twentieth century through the life of Klimt’s most beloved muse. . . . A nuanced view of a painting whose story transcends its own time.” —Bookforum

“Captivating.” —MORE Magazine

“Combines detailed reportage with passionate storytelling. . . .  Unraveling the portrait’s journey also reveals how global norms of art and war have changed, and the powerful roles that art plays in politics, society, identity and memory.” —The Rumpus

“A fascinating book.” —The Dallas Morning News

“Richly drawn. . . . Part history and part mystery, The Lady in Gold is a striking tale.” —BookPage

“The lusciously detailed story of Gustav Klimt’s most famous painting, detailing the relationship between the artist, the subject, their heirs and those who coveted the masterpiece. . . . Art-history fans will love the deep details of the painting, and history buffs will revel in the facts O’Connor includes as she exposes a deeper picture of World War II.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Intriguing. . . . Poignant and convincing. . . . Vividly evokes the intellectually precocious and ambitious Adele’s rich cultural and social milieu in Vienna, and how she became entwined with the charismatic, sexually charged, and irreverent Klimt.” —Publishers Weekly

“Writing with a novelist’s dynamism, O’Connor resurrects fascinating individuals and tells a many-faceted, intensely affecting, and profoundly revelatory tale of the inciting power of art and the unending need for justice.” —Booklist (starred review)

Anne-Marie O'Connor attended Vassar College, studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a foreign correspondent for Reuters and a staff writer for theLos Angeles Timesfor twelve years, and has written extensively on the Klimt painting and the Bloch-Bauer family's efforts to recover its art collection. Her articles have appeared inEsquire, The Nation,andThe Christian Science Monitor. She currently writes forThe Washington Postfrom Jerusalem, where her husband, William Booth, isPost bureau chief.

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