Expressionist Austrian Avant-Garde Art TWO LITTLE GIRLS: Signed: EGON SHIELE Dated: 1911 Start Price USD 50.00 Current Price USD 77.08 Time Left - Bid Count 4 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, July 03, 2008 End Time Sunday, July 13, 2008 Location Vero Beach , FL See more about 'Expressionist Austrian Avant-Garde Art' Description TWO LITTLE GIRLS Lithograph: 1 of 25 in the World Rare on E-Bay: EGON SCHIELE Signed/Dated/Numbered Art   - - Purchased from a well-established Fine Art & Antique Dealer       Original: In the catalogue raisonne of iconic Austrian-born Expressionist Egon Schiele (1890-1918), Two Little Girls is a wonderfully expressive, signed and dated colorful work, created originally in 1911, on paper, in a combination of pencil and watercolor. The superbly crafted work of art exhibited here for sale, and also signed and dated, was rendered as a rare museum quality lithograph, numbered one in a run of only twenty-five in the world, and done so finely on high quality light brown or beige colored paper in vivid colors that, artistically, it is special, indeed.                   NOTICE: This is NOT a cheapo print with lots of dots that you see when looking at the work with a magnifying artist’s or jeweler’s “loop,” NOT a computer rendered image, NOT a piece of art with a fake floating signature, NOT a work done by another artist in the style of Schiele, NOT a lithograph of an unknown Schiele work, NOT an invented piece of artwork done by a free-lance artist, portrayed as a Schiele, and NOT included in the hundreds of Schiele prints or posters available for sale on the internet.                           To appreciate the impact of what I’m saying, and so that you can draw your own opinion or conclusion, please refer to page 137 of the book, EGON SCHIELE by Erwin Mitsch, showing a copy of Schiele’s original watercolor and pencil work of Two Little Girls. I think you will agree, it looks identical to the work up for sale, other than it does not, of course, feature a 1/25 in the left hand corner. The reason is, the aforementioned book shows the original where I am selling a magnificent numbered-lithograph rendering.   TWO LITTLE GIRLS is one of the most famous of Schiele works. What’s so special about this rendering is it is pencil Signed, Dated, Numbered to preserve forever the authenticity of this famous artist’s work. At present, there are lots of cheapo copies of Schiele works printed on inferior quality paper being sold, but I have not seen one that is numbered. This work of art is a rare lithograph numbered and signed in the plate, produced on quality paper in rich colors, and, furthermore, 1 of only 25 produced.               Due to the scarcity of Schiele’s art in various mediums, most notably oils, and the astronomical prices (often reaching the high millions) being paid at auction for originals, lithographs, far more than prints, continue to increase in popularity. However, because Schiele lithographs are scarce, compared to say Dali or Chagall lithographs that are plentiful (and plagued by the surfacing of fakes), they are generally much more expensive. To back up this point, consider these factual auction records from findartinfo.com             In 2007, a Schiele print sold for $10,414, which is quite high for such an item, while a lithograph by Schiele sold for $38,131, which though above average, failed to reach the record price in the last few years: a 28.7 x 21 inch lithograph sold in Schiele’s native Austria for $96, 129.               Obviously, the prices of lithographs vary according to the number of images made in a “run.” Generally, prices grow more expensive the more limited the run; for example, works in a 1/100 run are generally much more valuable than those in a 500 run.             The lithograph for sale here is extremely rare, only 1 in a run of 25, and, moreover, it is signed, dated, and numbered.                  Quality is, naturally, another vital element in evaluating artwork of any kind. The only way to describe the lithograph for sale here is: Mint. So much so, that when I purchased it a few years ago, then took it out of the frame, it was so stunningly vivid and clean-lined, in a combination of watercolor and pencil, I could not really imagine the original looking any more colorful.             The original, classified by inventory number 27.945 in the collection of Austria’s Graphische Sammlung Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria, is 41 x 32 cm (16.1 inches by 12.6 inches), while the rare lithograph in my collection and on offer, here, on e-Bay, inclusive of a fitting frame with museum glass, is practically the same size, with the sight size alone virtually measuring 15.5 x 12 inches. When first viewing the work for sale here, I realized, immediately, the truth of the words spoken by Dr. Erwin Mitsch, curator of the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria, and, again, author of EGON SCHIELE, a superbly informative biography accompanied by famous Schiele works, including, as pointed out earlier: Two Little Girls. “In the lively portrait of two little girls, they consist in the contrast between types and temperaments, which are rendered with incomparable power of characterization,” said Mitsch. In viewing this stunningly colorful work, I also realized right away why Schiele is regarded as a master of light. “The picture must radiate light, the bodies have their own light which they consume to live: they burn, they are not lit from outside,” said Schiele. In addition to Schiele being a master of light, another unique talent of this Austrian artist was his uncanny ability to metaphysically portray characters. In viewing this work, a warm quality comes through. Whereas some of Schiele’s works dig so deep into the soul that one feels a cold, haunting sensation, here the viewer feels a true kinship between these two girls, though, admittedly you can see which one is the free spirit and which is the solitary thinker. The fact that the work makes us wonder what they are thinking, looking at us, the viewers, makes it all the more special for art lovers. During Schiele’s short life (Dead at age 28), renderings of his work were extremely rare. Considering the scarcity of the Signed, Dated, and Numbered Schiele work for sale here, it is being offered with a very fair and modest reserve.               Remember, your bid is a contract. If you are the highest bidder, you enter into a legally binding Florida contract to purchase the item from the seller, who is a Florida resident. If you are the highest bidder at the end of the auction, you are obliged to complete the transaction with the seller. Your bid indicates you have read the full description and agree to abide by the terms. Payment by PayPal is preferred, though bank checks and money orders are acceptable. Money wires from overseas are also acceptable, provided the amount is converted to U.S. dollars and you understand that the item will not be shipped until the wire is approved by my bank. Payment is due within 3 days after the completion of the auction. If payment is not received within 5 days after the auction, then the seller reserves the right to rescind the purchase and break the understood contract and resell the item.             Due to the rarity of the item, I cannot afford to keep sending it back and forth, around the United States or overseas. The reason is, as surely you can appreciate, if it is damaged in the process, it will cause all kinds of complications, legal and otherwise, regardless of my arranging for good insurance. Therefore, make an intelligent decision to buy, based on questions you ask of me and or others, since the item on offer is being sold with a No Return policy. Should you choose to say something critically negative about the item on offer, be prepared to take full responsibility by backing up what you say with facts, knowing it is wrong to jeopardize the sale of this item by providing false, harmful information. I can certainly deal with constructive criticism, but false statements made to do harm will, understandably, be investigated by my intellectual property lawyer. Furthermore, if you have a problem or doubt about this work of art, concerning even the most remote issues tied to authenticity, scarcity, value, provenance, condition, or investment potential, then do not bid, as it is not fair to sway others one way or the other.             Good luck in your quest to win the item.     Place a Bid!