A famous painting by Gustav Klimt, a well-known artist from Austria, has been found in Vienna after being lost for almost 100 years. The painting is called “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” and was last seen in public in 1925. It used to belong to a Jewish family in Austria, but has been with the current owners since the 1960s. The painting is worth over $54 million, which is a lot of money!

The painting will be sold at an auction on April 24th. The money from the sale will go to the current owners and the family of the original owners, following an agreement to return art that was stolen by the Nazis during World War Two. Before the auction, the painting will be shown in different countries, like the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong. The Lieser family, who were rich Jewish businesspeople in Vienna, originally had the painting.

The people who work at the auction house say that there is no proof that the painting was stolen during the war. It was thought to be lost forever because it wasn’t listed in any catalogs of Klimt’s work. But the auction house did some research and found the Lieser family, who might be able to claim the painting. They have experience with this kind of thing before.

Gustav Klimt’s art always sells for a lot of money. In June, one of his paintings sold for £85.3 million, which is the most ever paid for a piece of art in Europe. Finding the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” adds to the importance and value of Klimt’s work. People in the art world are really excited about it and can’t wait for the auction to happen.

Original news source: Gustav Klimt portrait found after almost 100 years (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and create a summary of the main points.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summary with the class.
5. Discuss any differences or similarities in the summaries and clarify any misunderstandings.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to come up with 3-5 discussion questions based on the article.
3. Have each group ask their questions to the rest of the class and record the responses.
4. After all the questions have been asked, discuss the different opinions and perspectives that were shared.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write down 10-15 key vocabulary words from the article on separate slips of paper.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. One person from each team will come to the front of the class to draw one of the vocabulary words without using any letters or numbers.
4. The rest of their team must guess the word within a certain time limit.
5. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions:
1. Write down 10-15 key vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Instruct the class to work individually or in pairs to come up with as many synonyms as they can for each word.
3. After a designated amount of time, have the students share their lists with the class.
4. Discuss any new or interesting synonyms that were discovered.

– Headline Creation
Instructions:
1. Instruct the class to work individually or in pairs to create a catchy headline for the article.
2. Give them a few minutes to brainstorm and write down their headlines.
3. Have each student or pair share their headline with the class.
4. Discuss the different headlines and vote on the most creative or attention-grabbing one.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is Gustav Klimt?
2. How long was the painting “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” lost for?
3. Who does the painting currently belong to?
4. How much is the painting worth?
5. What will happen to the money from the sale of the painting?
6. Which countries will the painting be shown in before the auction?
7. Why was the painting thought to be lost forever?
8. Why are people in the art world excited about finding the painting?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A famous painting by (1)______ Klimt, a well-known artist from Austria, has been found in Vienna after being lost for almost 100 (2)______. The painting is called “Portrait of (3)______ Lieser” and was last seen in public in 1925. It used to belong to a Jewish (4)______ in Austria, but has been with the current owners since the 1960s. The painting is worth over $54 million, which is a lot of money!

The painting will be sold at an auction on April 24th. The money from the sale will go to the current (5)______ and the family of the (6)______ owners, following an agreement to return art that was stolen by the (7)______ during World War Two. Before the auction, the painting will be shown in (8)______ countries, like the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong. The Lieser family, who were rich Jewish businesspeople in (9)______, originally had the painting.

The people who work at the auction (10)______ say that there is no proof that the painting was (11)______ during the war. It was thought to be lost forever because it wasn’t (12)______ in any catalogs of Klimt’s work. But the auction house did some research and found the Lieser family, who might be able to claim the painting. They have experience with this kind of thing before.

Gustav Klimt’s art always (13)______ for a lot of money. In June, one of his paintings sold for £85.3 million, which is the most ever paid for a piece of art in (14)______. (15)______ the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” adds to the importance and value of Klimt’s work. People in the art world are really (16)______ about it and can’t wait for the auction to happen.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a famous painting by Gustav Klimt?
2. How would you feel if you found a valuable painting that had been lost for almost 100 years?
3. Do you like art? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it is fair that the current owners and the family of the original owners will both receive money from the sale of the painting? Why or why not?
5. What do you think about the fact that the painting will be shown in different countries before the auction? Why do you think they are doing this?
6. How do you think the Lieser family felt when they found out that their painting had been found?
7. Do you think it is important to return art that was stolen during World War Two? Why or why not?
8. What other famous artists do you know besides Gustav Klimt?
9. How would you feel if you owned a valuable piece of art like the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser”?
10. What do you think makes art valuable?
11. Do you think it is possible for a painting to be lost forever? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the people who work at the auction house felt when they discovered the painting’s history?
13. What do you think it would be like to work at an auction house?
14. Do you think it is important to preserve and protect artwork? Why or why not?
15. How do you think the art world will react to the sale of the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser”?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. famous
2. auction
3. agreement
4. stolen
5. catalogs
6. research
7. claim
8. experience
9. importance
10. value
11. excited
12. forever
13. proof
14. original
15. lost

Meanings:
(A) Taken without permission, especially by theft
(B) The first or earliest version of something
(C) Having done something many times before; having knowledge from doing something often
(D) A public sale where items are sold to the highest bidder
(E) Well-known or widely recognized
(F) Evidence or confirmation that something is true
(G) How much something is worth in terms of money or other goods
(H) For all time; without end
(I) Books or lists that describe items or works, often in detail
(J) To say that something belongs to you or that you have a right to it
(K) The significance or impact of something
(L) Unable to be found or recovered
(M) The process of studying something carefully to learn more about it
(N) Feeling very enthusiastic or eager about something
(O) A formal arrangement or decision made between two or more parties
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who painted the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser”?
(a) Vincent van Gogh
(b) Pablo Picasso
(c) Leonardo da Vinci
(d) Gustav Klimt

2. When was the painting last seen in public?
(a) 1960s
(b) 1945
(c) 1925
(d) 2020

3. How much is the painting worth?
(a) $10 million
(b) $100,000
(c) $1 billion
(d) Over $54 million

4. Where will the painting be shown before the auction?
(a) France, Italy, Spain, and Japan
(b) UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong
(c) Australia, Brazil, Canada, and India
(d) Russia, China, South Africa, and Mexico

5. Who will receive the money from the sale of the painting?
(a) The auction house
(b) The Lieser family
(c) The current owners and the family of the original owners
(d) The art world

6. Why was the painting thought to be lost forever?
(a) It wasn’t listed in any catalogs of Klimt’s work
(b) It was stolen by the Nazis
(c) It was destroyed during World War Two
(d) It was hidden in a secret location

7. How much did one of Gustav Klimt’s paintings sell for in June?
(a) £85.3 million
(b) $10 million
(c) $100,000
(d) $1 billion

8. What are people in the art world excited about?
(a) The auction house
(b) The finding of the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser”
(c) The Lieser family
(d) The money from the sale of the painting

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A lesser-known painting by Gustav Klimt, an Austrian artist, has been discovered in Vienna after being lost for almost 100 years.
2. Before the auction, the painting will be exhibited in various countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong.
3. The painting will be sold at an auction on April 24th, and the money from the sale will be divided between the current owners and the family of the original owners.
4. The painting is worth less than $54 million, which is not a significant amount of money.
5. The auction house claims that there is evidence that the painting was stolen during World War Two, but they have not found the Lieser family who might be able to claim it.
6. The painting used to belong to a non-Jewish family in Austria, but has been with the current owners since the 1960s.
7. Gustav Klimt’s art is highly valued, with one of his paintings recently selling for £85.3 million, the highest price ever paid for a piece of art in Europe.
8. The painting is called “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” and was last seen in public in 1925.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the name of the painting that was found in Vienna after being lost for almost 100 years?
2. Who did the painting originally belong to?
3. How much is the painting worth?
4. Where will the painting be shown before the auction?
5. Why are people in the art world excited about the painting being found?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who is Gustav Klimt?
Gustav Klimt is a famous artist from Austria.

2. How long was the painting “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” lost for?
The painting was lost for almost 100 years.

3. Who does the painting currently belong to?
The painting currently belongs to the current owners, who have had it since the 1960s.

4. How much is the painting worth?
The painting is worth over $54 million.

5. What will happen to the money from the sale of the painting?
The money from the sale of the painting will go to the current owners and the family of the original owners, as part of an agreement to return stolen art.

6. Which countries will the painting be shown in before the auction?
The painting will be shown in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong before the auction.

7. Why was the painting thought to be lost forever?
The painting was thought to be lost forever because it wasn’t listed in any catalogs of Klimt’s work.

8. Why are people in the art world excited about finding the painting?
People in the art world are excited about finding the painting because it adds to the importance and value of Klimt’s work, and his art always sells for a lot of money.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Gustav
(2) years
(3) Fraulein
(4) family
(5) owners
(6) original
(7) Nazis
(8) different
(9) Vienna
(10) house
(11) stolen
(12) listed
(13) sells
(14) Europe
(15) Finding
(16) excited
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. famous
Answer: (E) Well-known or widely recognized

2. auction
Answer: (D) A public sale where items are sold to the highest bidder

3. agreement
Answer: (O) A formal arrangement or decision made between two or more parties

4. stolen
Answer: (A) Taken without permission, especially by theft

5. catalogs
Answer: (I) Books or lists that describe items or works, often in detail

6. research
Answer: (M) The process of studying something carefully to learn more about it

7. claim
Answer: (J) To say that something belongs to you or that you have a right to it

8. experience
Answer: (C) Having done something many times before; having knowledge from doing something often

9. importance
Answer: (K) The significance or impact of something

10. value
Answer: (G) How much something is worth in terms of money or other goods

11. excited
Answer: (N) Feeling very enthusiastic or eager about something

12. forever
Answer: (H) For all time; without end

13. proof
Answer: (F) Evidence or confirmation that something is true

14. original
Answer: (B) The first or earliest version of something

15. lost
Answer: (L) Unable to be found or recovered
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who painted the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser”?
Answer: (d) Gustav Klimt

2. When was the painting last seen in public?
Answer: (c) 1925

3. How much is the painting worth?
Answer: (d) Over $54 million

4. Where will the painting be shown before the auction?
Answer: (b) UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong

5. Who will receive the money from the sale of the painting?
Answer: (c) The current owners and the family of the original owners

6. Why was the painting thought to be lost forever?
Answer: (a) It wasn’t listed in any catalogs of Klimt’s work

7. How much did one of Gustav Klimt’s paintings sell for in June?
Answer: (a) £85.3 million

8. What are people in the art world excited about?
Answer: (b) The finding of the “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser”
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A lesser-known painting by Gustav Klimt, an Austrian artist, has been discovered in Vienna after being lost for almost 100 years. (Answer: False)
2. Before the auction, the painting will be exhibited in various countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong. (Answer: True)
3. The painting will be sold at an auction on April 24th, and the money from the sale will be divided between the current owners and the family of the original owners. (Answer: True)
4. The painting is worth less than $54 million, which is not a significant amount of money. (Answer: False)
5. The auction house claims that there is evidence that the painting was stolen during World War Two, but they have not found the Lieser family who might be able to claim it. (Answer: False)
6. The painting used to belong to a non-Jewish family in Austria, but has been with the current owners since the 1960s. (Answer: False)
7. Gustav Klimt’s art is highly valued, with one of his paintings recently selling for £85.3 million, the highest price ever paid for a piece of art in Europe. (Answer: True)
8. The painting is called “Portrait of Fraulein Lieser” and was last seen in public in 1925. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧