Adele Bloch-Bauer 2012 | 50 Euro | Gold Coin

Series Klimt and his women

The gold coin "Adele Bloch-Bauer" shows one of Klimt's most famous portraits of women and marks the beginning of the innovative series "Klimt and his Women".

Whatever fascinated Klimt about the then 26-year-old, he captured on the work known as "The Golden Adele" - and this adorns the first coin in this series. Rich and worldly, Adele Bloch-Bauer, one of the most famous women of the turn of the century promoted Klimt unflinchingly - despite his ostracism in traditional social circles. Her portrait was intended as a gift to her parents, but Klimt worked for four years on this square oil painting with numerous editions of gold and silver leaf. It was not finished for the intended occasion, but made art history as "Golden Adele" and was sold in 2006 in the course of restitution for 135 million US dollars - the highest selling price of a work of art at the time.

Text courtesy of the Austrian Mint.