A rare bronze death mask of Expressionist painter Egon Schiele was recently sold at Sloane Street Auctions in London on October 23. 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 (about $24,585, excluding fees), well above its estimated value of £1,000 - £2,000.
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Schiele, known for his raw depictions of the human form, died in 1918 at the age of 28 during the Spanish flu pandemic, which devastated cities across Europe. His work, characterised by bold colors and distorted forms, often explored themes of identity, sexuality, and mortality, making him a pivotal figure in the Expressionist movement. Created shortly after Schiele's death by Austrian sculptor Gustinus Ambrosi, a contemporary admirer, the mask serves as an evocative relic of the artist's brief life.
Ambrosi recalled the day he created the mask. "All Saints Day in 1918 was beautiful... I opened the coffin, removed 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" (Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele: The Complete Works, New York, 1990). Ambrosi made four copies of the original mask; one remains with Schiele's family, while others were given to close associates. Death masks, traditionally used to preserve the likeness of the deceased, have been created throughout history to honor and remember significant individuals.
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A plaster cast of the mask is currently held at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, which honours Ambrosi's contributions to 20th-century sculpture. This was the first recorded auction of such a piece, part of a larger sale featuring nearly 600 lots of 20th-century art, modern pieces, and decorative arts.
