MLB NEWS #1

Mrs Agreste's portrait origins

I finally found out what portrait it is based on!!! SO HAPPY!!!!

And I think this portrait could tell us more about Gabriel and the Agreste family's story. The Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer was commissioned by the husband. I think this a major scoop guys!!

It's also called The Lady in Gold or The Woman in Gold. It was completed between 1903 and 1907.

There is a link to Chloe, which may explain why she has a similar painting in her room, as well as having lost her mother like Adrien, except Chloe lost hers earlier in her life.

The story goes that Adele's Jewish husband, Ferdinand, got Gustav to paint the portrait with Adele sitting for it.

In 1941, it was stolen by the Nazis as well as the rest of Ferdinand's valuables because of a charge of tax evasion was made against Ferdinand. Then the lawyer acting on the Herman state's behalf have the portrait to Galerie Belvedere, claiming he was following the wishes Adele had made in her will. Ferdinand died in 1946 with his state left to his nephew and nieces.

And so, it was displayed at (ugh this is going to be a pain to spell, since I'm scrolling up and down up a picture) Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

The Bloch-Baude heirs then spent 8 years trying to get it back. In 2006, they finally had it returned to the family. In the same year, it was sold for $135 million, which was a record price for a painting at the time.

A journalist that isn't me said that Galerie Belvedere has more works stolen from Jewish owners in the war. They also found that the gallery refused to acknowledge that a theft had occurred. One of Ferdinand's nieces, Maria, hired a lawyer to make a claim against this and to get a return of Klimt's five works. Eventually, since I'm conscious I'm probably boring you guys with unnecessary deets, they got it back.

The opinions are divided on whether Adele and Klimt had an affair, though.

Imagine if Mr and Mrs Agreste were torn apart because Mr Agreste believed Mrs Agreste was having an affair and Adrien knew nothing of this. Then suddenly, she disappears. And Gabriel is left thinking she left him for an artist, maybe?

You know what, I wanna have a prowl around Theo's arty place and see any I can find...

And maybe Chloe's mum is tied into it too. Maybe is Chloe's mum wasn't a fashion designer like the rumour says, then maybe Chloe and Adrien met by their mums being all chummy?

Anyways...

It's also stated that Adele had a childhood accident which left her with a disfigured finger.

An art historian also considers the use of gold in the painting 'underlines the essential erotic ingredient in Klimt's view of the world.'

Wiki says: 'He also states Klimt used gold to give subjects a sacred or magical quality.'

Okay. So here's another theory: If Mrs Agreste was Pixie Girl, she could have gone off with that accomplice she has who I don't know the name of and the magic part is referring to them both being superheroes.

And also, remembering that this portrait is on Gabriel's safe: Gabriel pushes two parts in to go into his lair, so the magical and sacred quality could maybe have a something to do with that.

Klimt was also he preferred portrait painter of wives of largely Jewish Viennese bourgeoisie by 1900, according to Wikipedia. The key word: bourgeoisie, which is where Chloe's surname Bourgeois is derived from. I wonder if there's more to the link than that...

Anyways, bug out!