Many moons ago, Barbra Streisand owned an original painting by the famous Gustav Klimt. However, in 1998, she sold the painting, making herself $17,000. Flash forward to 2025 and the same painting sold at auction for $236.4 million. According to the Wall Street Journal Magazine, this one piece of artwork has become the “most expensive piece of modern art ever sold at auction.”
Days after the sale, Streisand took to Instagram to share that she once owned the painting.
“My longtime assistant made me a book of art that I’ve loved and sold,” Streisand wrote on Nov. 20. “One of them was this painting of Miss Ria Munk on her Deathbed by Gustav Klimt that I bought in 1969 for $17,000, which seemed like a lot of money at the time. I sold it in 1998 because I became interested in Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts & Crafts movement. Oh how I regret selling her. As the title of the book says, ‘You should never sell art you love.'”
Fans took to the comments section to react.
“I wish I could see it in color. Klimt always surprises. That was an amazing collection. I saw the Kiss and others in Vienna recently – he has unusual style. I also wish you never sold it. But it made somebody else happy, too,” one person wrote.
“This is quite the story. At least you and the painting were together for some time,” someone else said.
“We’re just here for a short time. Can’t take anything with us. So you shouldn’t have regrets for what you let go of. On a positive note, your beautiful songs will live on and bring joy for generations to come. Thank you for the music, film and activism. By the way, your autobiography was fantastic. You were so generous to share your experiences with us,” a third comment read.
Surely Streisand still owns other pricey pieces of art as she’s been a collector much of her adult life. However, there was something special about the Klimt original that no one can deny.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
