Gustinus Ambrosi (Austrian, 1893-1975) The Death Mask of Eg...

Hammer

£19,000

Gustinus Ambrosi (Austrian, 1893-1975)
The Death Mask of Egon Schiele
Taken in 1918, later recast
Bronze

Egon Schiele died in Vienna at 1.00 A.M. on the 31st October 1918, having contracted Spanish Flu.

Jane Kallir in Egon Schiele the Complete works, New York 1990, p.245, note 73, recounts: 'Gustinus Ambrosi took Schiele's death mask. “All Saints Day in 1918 was beautiful” Ambrosi recalls “.... I opened the coffin, removed (Schiele's) his 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 of Nov. 10,  1918, to Arthur Roessler, Ambrosi further elaborates on the mask. “I gave the original to Mr (Richard) Lanyi, one cast the mother (Marie Schiele) one cast I have retained  for myself and one I have reserved for you”

Literature:
Arthur Roessler, Erinnerungen an Egon Schiele,Vienna, Weiner Volksbuchverlag, 1948, (another cast reproduced on the book cover);
Gianfranco Malafarina, Tout l'Oeuvre peint de Schiele, Paris, Flammarion 1983, p. 69. pl. 29 (another cast reproduced).

Dimensions:
7.5 in. (H) x 5.5 in. (W) x 4 in. (D)