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An exceptionally rare and intriguing bronze death mask of the artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918) promises to be one of the highlights of Sloane Street Auctions in London on October 23.
It was taken by the Austrian artist Gustinus Ambrosi (1893-1975), who opened up the coffin for the purpose after Schiele had succumbed to the Spanish Flu epidemic that swept the globe as the First World War ended.
Ambrosi’s description of the event is recalled in Jane Kallir’s 1990 book Egon Schiele: The Complete Works: “All Saints Day in 1918 was beautiful… I opened the coffin, removed (Schiele’s) collar and tie (he was in a Dinner Jacket), and there in the sunshine under the blue sky I made the mould for the death mask.”
In a letter to Arthur Roessler of November 10, 1918, Ambrosi reports making four copies of the mask: one for Richard Lanyi, one for Schiele’s mother, another for himself and the final one for Roessler.
Lanyi had been Schiele’s publisher in Vienna, and would later die in Auschwitz. Roessler was the art critic who first championed Schiele and later sat for him, becoming a firm friend.
It is not clear whether any other copies were made, but this one is expected to fetch £1,000-2,000.
‘We are delighted with this catalogue, which has some real rarities and truly fine examples of work by leading artists of their respective periods,” said Sloane Street’s Daniel Hunt.
“This is exactly the range and quality of items that used to be offered by Christie’s South Kensington before it closed, and we are happy to don that mantle. Indeed, not only have several of our clients already pointed that out, but we are also delighted to work with Hugh Edmeades, Christie’s South Kensington’s former chairman, as our auctioneer on the rostrum.”
