Bosendorfer Tree of Life
7' Art Case Grand Piano
Gustav Klimt, was a world-renowned artist even before his passing. In 1888, he received the Golden Order of Merit from Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria, and he received honorary memberships to both the University of Vienna and the University of Munich. Even today, his popularity among art lovers is undeniable. One of his most notable pieces was Adele Bloch-Bauer II, which sold for a record $88 million in 2006. The buyer was said to have been Oprah Winfrey, who sold the painting privately in 2016 for $150 million. Adele Bloch-Bauer II's more famous predecessor, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, was also purchased in 2006 for $135 million. This same piece was the subject of the 2015 film "Woman in Gold" starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds. "Woman in Gold" recounted Klimt's family's struggle to reclaim Gustav's Nazi-looted works. It was the most expensive painting ever sold at the time.
This Bosendorfer piano transfers imagery from Klimt's famous drawings “The Tree of Life” and "Expectation" to the piano lid interior by means of an elaborate reprography technique. The jewelry of the young woman from "Expectation" has been intricately hand-gilded in the finest 23 carat gold leaf. The inner rim of the piano is finished in matte black, and - together with the color-coordinated cast iron frame - enhances the luminosity of the imagery on the lid interior. The music stand uses further elements from the "Tree of Life," including the striking Horus falcons, in ornamental form. As a collector's item, the Tree of Life Grand Piano is limited to 25 instruments worldwide, each with its individually numbered brass plaque.
Riverton Music is Utah's only factory-authorized Bosendorfer dealership.