Instagram/@barbrastreisand
Barbra Streisand has now come out of the closet with a very deep and tiring to tell remorse from her past—the once sold, now cherished, Gustav Klimt painting. The public has been granted access to the performer’s extensive emotions, and thoughts connected to the loss of this painting, which she bought in 1969 for $17,000 but sadly sold a few decades later. The star’s candid and honest confession has not only invited sympathy but, to a certain degree, has also made listeners share similar situations.
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Streisand pointed out that her long time assistant was the one that prompted her to gather a collection of artworks that she had previously loved but eventually sold. One of the included works was Klimt’s “Miss Ria Munk on her Deathbed,” a painting that she acquired in her early days. Even though the $17,000 price for the painting was not her saying it was easy to part with, she still sold her Klimt in 1998 as she started to change her artistic likes to Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts & Crafts movement. She rarely lets anyone know, she just says, “Oh how I regret selling her.” The title of the book her assistant assembled is not much different from her regret – ”You should never sell art you love.”
Very soon after, the post received immediate and emotional response. Most of them were sympathetic, one person commented, ”Perfect title, your assistant is telling the truth!” Another one pointed out that art has through the years always been characterized by the quality of being a story and therefore could be re-told in music.”
Streisand’s financial revelations have prompted plenty of comments and now they are especially relevant since Klimt’s masterpieces have become even more expensive and sought after. One person said, ”Today $17,000 looks like a large sum of money to almost everyone.” Someone else said even more strongly, ”Hey, if a Klimt painting comes my way, I will never be letting it go. In those days $17,000 was already a steal.”
A very smart statement gave an additional perspective about the time being right for Streisand to think back. The person referred to the auction news, saying, “A Gustav Klimt painting has been sold for a record $236.4m, making it the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auctions.” This mind-boggling sum allows one to see, in a way, the almost tragic story of Streisand’s buying and selling of her painting.
The story of the painting proved to be a true global one. A user, writing in her German language, expressed the same feeling of sadness as was, “Yes, it is indeed a big pity you have sold this picture. It is a wonderful testimony and… I am from Austria and I can tell you.” This response validates the idea of the painting being an important cultural artifact that is worth much more than just a monetary value.
Nevertheless, in calling the sympathies, some comments were slightly teasing the situation. One user said, “I don’t want to make your pain worse, but YOU SOLD THAT!!” Another replied, ”You should never sell Klimts they would be worth millions today.” Such humorous replies illustrate, to a degree, the almost incredulous financial hindsight surrounding the decision.
Moreover, Streisand’s post made people wonder about her collection of art in general. One of her fans even asked, “Barbra do you like paintings of Frida Kahlo?” while another one, was talking about her favorite artist saying, “The other one is Egon Schiele?” This has truly shown how the star’s personal taste still continues to fascinate and provoke curiosity among people. Her reflections on legacy extend beyond art, as seen in her mourning the loss of her White House rose garden legacy.
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Ultimately, Barbra Streisand’s open and honest post is not just a case of a missed financial opportunity but also. It is, rather, a collective saga of the emotional burden of the things we throw away. The price at which her loss is counted is very high since it is a strong reminder that some of the things we love most are worth a lot more than the price tag on them. Her initiated communication suggests that the relationship between an artist and a collector can be very profound and lasting, even when the work is no longer physically present. She has also honored Nancy Pelosi for their shared fight for women’s health.
