2006年VOA标准英语-New York Museum Exhibits World's Most Expensive

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
12 July 2006

The world's most expensive painting is now on exhibit in New York's Neue Galerie. The head of the small museum purchased the exotic Gustav Klimt painting less than one month ago for what experts say is a record amount of $135 million. The purchase followed a long restitution¹ battle between the Austrian government and the heirs to the original owner, a victim of Nazism³.

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Gustav Klimt's Adele Bloch-Bauer 1 at Neue Galerie - Museum Director Renee Price is on the left
  
Klimt's gold-flecked portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer is a star in the world of art, appearing on calendars, coffee mugs, and posters. Klimt painted it in 1907 after a visit to Ravenna, Italy, where he was influenced by Byzantine mosaics⁴. When he returned to Vienna he turned out a series of oil paintings in what became known as his Golden Style, using gold leaf and geometric patterns in lustrous⁵ backgrounds and bejeweled figures.

Klimt spent three years painting arts patron Adele Bloch Bauer's portrait, one of his best-known works.

Museum director Renee Price says the painting will be the centerpiece of the five-year old museum's collection. The Neue Galerie, which focuses on the art of Austria and Germany from 1890 until 1940, has the largest Klimt collection in the Untied⁶ States.

"With the acquisition of Adele Bock Bauer One by Gustav Klimt, the Neue Galerie has added the largest jewel in its crown of its collection," said Renee Price. "This painting is nothing less than a masterpiece, a work that captures the very essence of the era in which it was created."

When Adele Bloch-Bauer died in 1925, she requested that her husband leave the painting and four other Klimt works to Austria upon his death. But Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer fled Austria for Switzerland in 1938, and the Nazi² government confiscated⁷ his property.

The painting hung in Vienna's Belvedere Gallery for 60 years, where Klimt's works are major tourist attractions.

Bauer-Bloch's last surviving heir, 90-year-old Maria Altmann of Los Angeles, California, and other family members fought a restitution battle with the government of Austria for years. In January, an Austrian arbitration⁸ court decided⁹ in favor of the family, awarding Altmann five paintings, including Adele Bloch-Bauer 1, another portrait of the socialite and three landscapes.

Former US ambassador to Austria Ronald Lauder, co-founder of the Neue Galerie, supported the family in its quest for restitution. He says the restitution decision has long-term significance.

"I think it is a very important moment because these paintings and paintings throughout museums and private collections that were looted from Jewish homes are perhaps the last prisoners of World War II," said Ronald Lauder. "It is my belief that during the coming years many more pictures like this will be restituted to their owners."

Experts estimate that the other four paintings awarded to the heirs are worth $100 milllion. All five paintings are currently on exhibit at the museum, but the heirs have yet to decide on the fate of the other four.

Lauder cannot say how much he and a group of investors¹⁰ paid for the painting because of a legal agreement, but he has not denied reports by experts that it cost $135 million. In 2004, a Picasso sold at auction¹¹ for $104 million, the highest price ever previously¹² paid for a painting.

1 restitution   

n.赔偿；恢复原状

参考例句：

• It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿，这是再公平不过的了。
• The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。

2 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

3 Nazism   

n. 纳粹主义

参考例句：

• His philosophical eyes were obviously shortsighted by the evil influence of Nazism. 显然，他那双哲学家般的深邃的眼睛也被纳粹的妖氛所眩惑。 来自中国文学部分
• Nazism suppressed all three movements as degenerate. 纳粹把所有三个运动都作为颓废艺术而加以镇压。

4 mosaics   

n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 )；镶嵌；镶嵌工艺；镶嵌图案

参考例句：

• The panel shows marked similarities with mosaics found elsewhere. 这块嵌板和在其他地方找到的镶嵌图案有明显的相似之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The unsullied and shining floor was paved with white mosaics. 干净明亮的地上镶嵌着白色图案。 来自辞典例句

5 lustrous   

adj.有光泽的；光辉的

参考例句：

• Mary has a head of thick,lustrous,wavy brown hair.玛丽有一头浓密、富有光泽的褐色鬈发。
• This mask definitely makes the skin fair and lustrous.这款面膜可以异常有用的使肌肤变亮和有光泽。

6 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

7 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

8 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

12 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。