Egon Schiele

As auction powerhouses Christie's and Sotheby's gear up for their New York spring sales, hopes are high that a host of major works the likes of which have not hit the block for several seasons will reap strong, even record, prices.

One of Gustav Klimt's most famous paintings will not be returned to the heirs of its Jewish former owner in a case that has tested Austria's laws on restitution of looted art.