Egon Schiele: Bronze Death Mask Goes Under The Hammer

death mask of Egon Schiele

Update: A rare bronze death mask of the Austrian Expressionist painter Egon Schiele has sold at Sloane Street Auctions in London on 23 October. The bidding started at £1,000 and quickly escalated to £10,000 within just two minutes. After five minutes of intense back-and-forth competition, the mask sold to an internet bidder for £19,000 (excluding fees), well above its estimated value of £1,000 – £2,000.

The mask was made from a mould taken shortly after Schiele died, a victim of the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. This auction provides a rare opportunity to own a historical piece of this tragic figure.

Schiele was, at times, a provocative depicter of the human form. His contemporary, Gustinus Ambrosi, made the mask directly from the artist’s face. Later, Ambrosi gave an evocative account of the eerie process.

“All Saints Day in 1918 was beautiful,” Ambrosi recalled, according to Jane Kallir in her Egon Schiele: The Complete Works. “I opened the coffin, removed his collar and tie, and in the sunshine under the blue sky, I made the mould for the death mask.”

On November 10, 1918, Ambrosi wrote to explain the fate of the casts he had created. One was sent to Schiele’s publisher, Richard Lanyi. One was given to the artist’s bereaved mother, another third Ambrosi retained for himself, while the last one was presented to the friend and longtime supporter of the artist, the art critic Arthur Roessler. It is not documented whether more casts were remade at any later time, but Sloane Street Auctions has estimated that the mask currently on offer will realise between £1,000 and £2,000.

This sale is an opportunity for collectors and historians to own an important piece of Schiele’s memorabilia. Over a century after his death, his paintings, often stark portrayals of human vulnerability and sexuality, continue to captivate audiences. His art, steeped in his time’s psychological and emotional struggles, is still as relevant as ever.

Egon Schiele (1890–1918) was an Austrian Expressionist painter and draughtsman renowned for his raw, emotionally charged portrayals of the human figure. Born in Tulln, Austria, Schiele showed artistic talent from a young age and later studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He became closely associated with Gustav Klimt, who mentored him early in his career.

Schiele’s work is characterised by its stark, often erotic depictions of the human body, exploring themes of sexuality, death, and isolation. His distorted figures, sharp lines, and intense use of colour made his art controversial and groundbreaking. Though he faced criticism and even imprisonment for his provocative art, Schiele continued to push the boundaries of modern portraiture.

By the time of his death, Schiele had begun to gain significant recognition. Despite his short life, he left behind a rich body of work that continues to influence artists today.

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