Gustav Klimt's landscape painting *Waldabhang in Unterach am Attersee* (1916) sold for $70.8 million at Sotheby's on Tuesday night, hammering at $61 million. The work, believed to be the last surviving landscape by the artist, was the third Klimt sold by Sotheby's from the collection of the late mega-collector Leonard A. Lauder. It was the first Klimt Lauder ever purchased, marking a personal milestone in his collecting career. The sale follows earlier record-breaking Klimt sales from Lauder's holdings, including *Blumenwiese* ($86 million) and the portrait of Elisabeth Lederer ($236.4 million).
The sale underscores sustained demand for Klimt's late landscapes, which are rarer than his portraits and closely tied to his private practice. The painting's strong exhibition history, including its inclusion in the Neue Galerie's 2012 Klimt anniversary show, and its first-ever auction appearance contributed to the price. The result also provides a data point amid ongoing questions about depth in the top-tier art market, affirming that blue-chip works by canonical modernists continue to command high prices.