Discovering Manhattan's Woman In Gold

November 30, 2022 Amie Leavitt

I'd been to NYC dozens of times before I found out that one of the most famous works of art stolen by the Nazis during World War II (and then later restored to its owner) now graced the walls of the Fifth Avenue mansion of Ronald S. Lauder (the son of cosmetic founder Estée Lauder).

How did I finally learn of this?

I watched the movie Woman in Gold, obviously!

This movie tells the story of this famous painting, which was originally titled the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. It was painted by the famous Austrian artist Gustav Klimt and was in the private collection of Adele Bloch-Bauer's family until it was stolen from their home by the Nazis in 1941. It then turned up as one of the prized pieces of the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, where it remained for decades.

I won't say anymore about what happened—in case you want to see the movie—but obviously since the painting is now in New York City, something significant occurred which caused it to leave the Belvedere.

I highly recommend watching this movie and then including a visit to the Neue Galerie the next time you're in New York city to see this painting in person. It's absolutely stunning!

A Non-Solo Adventure

Since I'm definitely one to take my own advice, on my first trip to New York after seeing this movie, I made sure to include a visit to the Neue Galerie on my list of must-sees.

This particular trip wasn't a solo adventure, but rather a belated birthday gift for my mom. So, I actually got to share this experience with someone else this time, rather than just going at it alone.

subway entrance lower east side

We planned to go to the gallery on the last day of our New York excursion, and as luck would have it, that was the first day it was open after they were closed to prepare for a new exhibit. We were able to secure tickets for the second time slot of the morning!

Journeying to the Upper East Side

We left our hotel in the Lower East Side and journeyed by subway (the 4 Lexington Avenue Express) directly north and got off at the 86th and Lexington stop. The Neue Galerie is on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 86th Street, so we had to walk three blocks to the west.

new york subway

As an FYI, the blocks in New York are short if you're going north to south, but long if you're going east to west. We had the long blocks to walk, which wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't raining. But luckily the downpour wasn't too severe, and tucked under our umbrellas, we took off.

new york walk in rain

There is a stark difference between this part of the Upper East Side and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Like, you'd swear you went to a different planet on that 4 train, it's that different. The streets are clean and free of rubbish, there's no graffiti, and no sign of the homeless problem so prevalent in the south. Everything on 86th Street is posh, upscale, and exactly what you'd imagine the Upper East Side to be like. I'm quite familiar with this area because years ago I used to stay with family friends who had a brownstone home on 86th Street, so this stop was "my stop" for during a time in my life that I felt like I lived in the city I was here so often!

Inside the Neue Galerie

neue galerie new york

When we got to the Neue Galerie, there was already a line formed and conveniently, the Maître d' at the door arranged the crowd in groups according to ticket time. We had about 30 minutes to stand in what was now a light drizzle, so it definitely wasn't too bad. Inside, we showed our e-ticket QR code on my phone, went through a quick security check, and then entered into the mansion.

I'd always been curious what the inside of a Fifth Avenue mansion looked like, and now I know. It's totally fabulous! I wish I could show pictures, but photos inside the home were forbidden. Such a bummer!

I can tell you, though, that the Woman in Gold has a prominent place in the gallery, getting a wall all to herself.

The artwork is even more stunning in person than I imagined. The entire piece (except for Bloch-Bauer's face, hands, arms, and neck) is basically covered in shiny gold leaf. This is a Klimt signature touch. He was known to add gold to his art, which is obviously why this piece got its nickname. And this particular painting is considered the most glorious of his golden works. Unique aspects of the work include the all-seeing eye encapsulated by triangles on her sheath, her spectacular diamond choker (which was also stolen by the Nazis), and various Byzantine elements that Klimt included after being inspired by the works he saw in Ravenna, Italy just prior to painting this work.

As part of the acquisition of the Woman in Gold, the Neue Galerie has to keep the piece on permanent display and allow the public to have consistent access to it. I love this requirement because so many times beautiful pieces in private collections are kept out of the public eye forever. That would be a literal tragedy for the Woman in Gold. This is something everyone should get the chance to appreciate in person.

As a note: Since I wasn't allowed to take photos of the artwork, the pics you see in this post were obtained in a creative fashion. I pulled up the movie on my computer, paused at the proper times, and then screenshotted from that POV. That's not ideal, obviously, and doesn't truly show the brilliance of the work, but it's literally the best I could do.

Hunting Art in Travels

Art has inspired many of my travels including my first trips to Bruges in 2019 and Venice in 2023, to give just two examples. I'm certain that art will continue to make an impact on where I choose to travel in the future and what I see when I get there!

Has art ever inspired any of your travels?

Here's What You Need to Know

The Neue Galerie is located at 1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028. You can check out the current opening hours and admission prices here.

This gallery is dedicated to German and Austrian art from the early twentieth century, which makes it an obviously perfect home for the Woman in Gold.

The building housing Neue Galerie was built in 1914 by Carrère & Hastings. Apparently, they were also architects of the New York Public Library. It was commissioned by William Starr Miller who was an industrialist and real estate mogul in the state. This article is a fascinating look at the history of the home and its first and later owners. The home is considered "one of the most distinguished buildings ever erected on Fifth Avenue."