Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona: Colonial Encounters, Artistic Patronage, and Provenance History (1897–2025)

This report presents a comprehensive investigation into Gustav Klimt’s 1897 portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, tracing its origins, artistic context, and complex provenance from fin-de-siècle Vienna to 21st-century restitution debates. Based on extensive archival research, fieldwork in Austria, Hungary, and Ghana, as well as unpublished correspondence and scientific analyses, the study corrects earlier misidentifications of the sitter and situates the painting within the visual culture of ethnographic exhibitions. It reveals the sitter’s true identity as a Ga royal from Osu, Accra, rather than an Ashanti, and documents the painting’s displacement during the Nazi era and its partial concealment in postwar Hungary. The report contributes to current scholarly and ethical debates on colonial representation, Nazi-looted art, and restitution practices. It forms part of a larger publication project scheduled for release in 2026. All materials are subject to further editorial development.