Unveiling the Portrait of an African Prince by Gustav Klimt

An Insight into the Portrait

The portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona depicts a Black man positioned at a 3/4 angle toward the left. He sports short hair, a beard, and a mustache, exuding a serious demeanor as he gazes beyond the frame. Dressed in a patterned cream toga-like robe that exposes the right side of his chest, Klimt utilized a color palette of earthy tones, including shades of beige, black, brown, dark yellow, and green. The background features softly rendered plants and flowers.

About Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt, an Austrian painter, was one of the founding figures of the Vienna Secession movement, which opposed the rigid standards of the Austrian Academy. He gained prominence for his Symbolist artworks characterized by golden backgrounds and vivid figures. This portrait reflects an earlier phase of his artistic development, hence its distinction from his later renowned style epitomized in pieces like The Kiss (1907–1908) and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907).

The African Prince

It was determined that the subject of this portrait was indeed Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona of the Ga people from West Africa. Historically, Black individuals in Western art have often been depicted merely as subservient figures, lacking humanity and individuality. However, Lui Wienerroither, co-owner of the gallery Wienerroither & Kohlbacher, believes Klimt portrayed the prince with great respect and dignity.

The Context of the Portrait

While Klimt certainly depicted the prince with commendable dignity, the circumstances under which this portrait was created are both disturbing and shameful. Klimt encountered the prince at Tiergarten am Schüttel, a zoo showcasing human exhibits. This setting was part of a broader trend of ethnographic displays featuring Indigenous people from various regions, presented in Europe and the United States as spectacles, dehumanizing them and exploiting their existence for the entertainment of white audiences. These presentations legitimized racist ideologies.

Klimt’s colleague and fellow artist, Franz von Matsch, visited the zoo with him and later created an alternate version of the prince’s portrait, which captures a nearly frontal perspective, with the subject still averting his gaze from the observer. Although it employs a similar color scheme, Matsch’s rendering omits the botanical elements in the background.

From Obscurity to Rediscovery

Klimt’s works were often collected by affluent Jewish families. The portrait found its way into the hands of potential owners, Ernestine and Felix Klein, in the 1920s, who subsequently showcased it at a Klimt retrospective exhibition. Much information remains to be revealed, but it is plausible that the painting was among the pieces seized by the Nazis during World War II.

Viewers familiar with shows like Pawn Stars understand that people often present items lacking real significance, with masterpieces being a rarity. Klimt’s pieces are typically valued at millions, making them prime targets for forgery. Therefore, when a couple brought this portrait to the Wienerroither & Kohlbacher gallery in 2023, a skeptical assistant dismissed their claim. Nevertheless, considering Klimt’s connections with Jewish collectors, many of his works are rediscovered and returned to their rightful proprietors after restitution procedures. Fortunately, other gallery personnel opted to pursue further investigation and enlisted the expertise of art historian Alfred Weidinger.

Thanks to restoration efforts, this painting is now ready to re-enter the market. Currently, the portrait holds an astonishing value exceeding 16 million dollars (15 million euros). The future owner will possess an artwork that is not only complex but also rich in history.