669 - HELNWEIN, GOTTFRIED

HELNWEIN, GOTTFRIED 1948 Vienna Title: Untitled. Technique: Oil and acrylic on canvas. Dimensions: 275 x 202. Provenance: - Bruno and Lory Franzen, Zurich (directly from the artist) - Private collection, Switzerland - Helnwein is one of the most internationally renowned Austrian artists - One of his highly sought-after hyperrealistic works, presented in an unusual format - A powerful, striking effect achieved through a greatly enlarged subject Gottfried Helnwein is among the most internationally renowned Austrian artists. His hyperrealistic works—shaped by an engagement with society and its provocative or taboo subjects—are simultaneously shocking, unsettling, and fascinating. They serve as an indictment of cruelty, social injustices, and the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust. The abused body—subjected to violence—and the pain that accompanies it are central themes in Helnwein’s art. He frequently uses the image of a vulnerable, defenseless child, who serves as a proxy for all manner of psychological and societal anxieties. Helnwein’s paintings, which captivate the viewer through their technical, hyperrealistic perfection, are always based on a photographic source. Portraits play a significant role in Helnwein’s body of work. In addition to photographic portraits of famous figures, he creates numerous hyperrealistic portraits of children on canvas; their sheer scale alone exerts a profound impact on the viewer. In this way, these images transcend their function as mere representations of reality—primarily through the intense effect created by their dimensions and the physical space they command. Furthermore, there is the inherent expectation that a portrait captures a specific moment in time—regardless of whether that moment is pleasant or unpleasant. Helnwein leverages this very quality, pushing it to its absolute extreme in his portraits of children. The work serves to convey character, mood, and presence—elements that the artist deliberately orchestrates to make a specific statement. His pieces speak to us; they are legible and intended to communicate a message—one that may also aim to evoke particular, often unsettling, emotions. This is precisely the experience the viewer has with the painting offered here. At first glance, the girl appears neutral, but if one engages with her stern expression, she pierces the observer with an almost accusatory gaze—one that refuses to let go. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport must be arranged exclusively through a shipping company following consultation after the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros over a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the U.S. by individual arrangement after the auction. #Gottfried Helnwein #Hyperrealism #Austria #Post-War Art #Oil and Acrylic #Post-War. This lot will be sold subject to standard taxation (Conditions of Sale §V6.1) For this lot, we will charge an additional fee for import VAT, as the item has been imported from outside the EU (Conditions of Sale §V5.2). In accordance with §26 UrhG (German Copyright Act), VAN HAM is obligated to pay a statutory resale royalty on the sale proceeds of all original works of fine art and photography whose authors have not been deceased for 70 years prior to the end of the calendar year of the sale. The buyer shall contribute 1.5% of the hammer price toward this fee.