A Klimt in his most private form, free from the confines of commissioned works, immersed in the tranquility of the surrounding landscape... This is what embodies the work that will appear for the first time at auction at Sotheby's on May 16, as part of the Modern Evening Auction .

Insel im Attersee (Island in the Attersee) was painted by the Austrian artist during one of his summer stays in the Salzkammergut region of lakes and alpine ranges in 1901-02, which represented for him a respite from the hectic life of Vienna. The bucolic panorama and the iridescent waters of Lake Attersee framed Gustav Klimt's en plein air painting, and the serenity of that period is imbued throughout the work.

Related: Gustav Klimt: Artist of Emotion and Eroticism

It is characterized by Klimt's "cutout" of the scene, in which the water of the lake is the protagonist, the horizon is placed at the top and the upper edge of the island is out of the frame. Light and water color dominate the composition, weaving layers of textures in shimmering shades of green, blue and yellow. It almost seems that the lake reflects the artist's state of mind at that moment, in a kaleidoscope of emotions.   

The work, which coincides with the artist's "golden period", shows parallels with Impressionism and Pointillism, as well as influences derived from Japanese art.

The painting belonged to the collector and art historian Otto Kallir, a key figure in the dissemination of modern Austrian art in general – and of Klimt in particular – after the Second World War. Kallir was forced to flee Austria in 1938 following the Nazi invasion and found refuge in Switzerland and France. In Paris, he opened the Galerie St. Etienne and Insel im Attersee was among the works chosen for the inaugural exhibition. A second gallery was later opened in New York and the same painting was included in another important exhibition. 

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Insel im Attersee is presented for the first time at a public auction and offers a unique look at Klimt's body of work. It is among the most expensive works that will go on sale next month in New York, with the impressive estimate of $45 million.

Read all the latest news in Barnebys Magazine!

One of Klimt's most evocative landscapes of an Austrian lake will go up for auction at Sotheby's for the first time on May 16.

A $45 Million Klimt Landscape Makes Its Auction Debut

On May 6, Alex Cooper Auctioneers will host their Gallery Auction featuring over 540 lots of paintings, furniture, decorative arts, fine rugs, and books. With works ranging from a Picasso pitcher and Dalí sculpture to Chippendale chairs and Steuben crystal, there's a wide range for the erudite collector. 

Here are 5 Picasso-focused lots not to miss:

Picasso began producing pottery following a visit to Atelier Madoura in Vallauris, France in 1946. For a number of years, Picasso prolifically produced ceramics. He loved the idea that they were functional as well as artistic and thought that perhaps the everyday person could own one, when only the wealthy could afford his paintings. This "Visage Pitcher” depicts a female face wrapped around a pitcher. The female face often makes appearances in Picasso ceramics and It is believed to be the face of his second wife, Jacqueline Roque, whom he met at Madoura in 1953.  

This Picasso lithograph in colors on Arches paper, 1962, comes from an edition of 2000 and was published by Galerie Alex Maguy, Paris. It appears to be a marketing lithograph for an upcoming May-June show at the gallery.

Produced after the Picasso sketch, this lithograph was executed as a sketchbook drawing in 1955 and subsequently made available by Picasso for publication as a lithograph, printed by Mourlot, Paris in 1959. It was issued in a sketchbook-style portfolio entitled "Carnet de la Californie," Picasso's only sketchbook to be made available for print.

Coming from the estate of William J. Tudor of Baltimore is this Composition in 3 Colors lithograph after Picasso. It was produced in 1947 and the abstract composition shows Picasso's Cubist influences. 

Also from the Tudor estate are these three portrait lithographs, all signed in the stone, 1966, 1967 and 1968. The 1968 version is also inscribed "Pour Roland" with book plate number 2398 ll. Roland may indicate Roland Penrose, the surrealist artist and close friend of Picasso for over 35 years. 

Purchase a Picasso...at affordable prices! This auction features a prized Picasso pitcher, as well as several lithographs. 

Growing up in America in the 1980s, James Dillon Wright, known as Dillon Boy, was exposed to pop culture. Aside from his skateboard, his favorite thing to do was to go to the comic store. Creativity was encouraged early on through private drawing lessons.

His first career goal was to be a comic book artist at Marvel. He applied there when he was 12. Although he didn't get a job, he did get a package of instructions for drawing and writing comics. Motivated by this, he began to increasingly capture his heroes of the comics on paper. His first sale at the age of 14 proved that he was talented as well as enthusiastic.

Related: A Tintin Drawing Sets a Record for Comics

Dillon Boy's great art lies in bringing the well-known characters from the Marvel comics or Disney films into new and surprising situations - often with a pinch of eroticism. And it is precisely this moment of surprise and also the tricky eye-candy that fascinate the viewer. It is therefore not surprising that Dillon Boy's works have fans and collectors all over the world and have been exhibited in many countries.

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Related: In Conversation with Graphic Artist Shepard Fairey

Dillon Boy's stenciled and acrylic paint work is not limited to fictional characters. He also portrays famous personalities from the film and music world and from politics. The best example of this is a portrait of Barack Obama from 2008. The work The Blue Knight was created in the course of Obama's presidential campaign, for which Shepard Fairey created his well-known HOPE poster. Dillon Boy's portrait, like Fairey's, was featured in TIME magazine. Along with the mysterious British artist Banksy, Fairey is one of Dillon Boy's greatest sources of inspiration from the street and pop art scene.

Related: Banksy: The Enigmatic Street Artist

But it is not only these contemporaries that inspire Dillon Boy, he also admires the masters of past centuries. Already in high school, he became interested in the Old Masters of European art history, but also in the great portraitist of the Art Deco era, Tamara de Lempicka.

Related: Tamara de Lempicka and the Roaring Twenties

He was able to really immerse himself in the past during a stay of several years in Italy, during which he traveled all over Europe to see the art and to draw in his style. His absolute favorite was Botticelli's famous Venus, but he was also particularly taken with the ancient Nike of Samothrace, who watches over a staircase in the Louvre.

If you're interested in buying Dillon Boy art, check out his website. Since his paintings and prints are often sold out there, every collector should definitely keep an eye on the auction market where his works sell for affordable prices.

Discover more articles in Barnebys Magazine!

Comic books inspired a young Dillon Boy to create art that he started selling at just 14. 

Dillon Boy: A Childhood Dream Come True 

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