Offset lithograph in colors on BFK Rives laid paper
Ireland, after 1986
Gottfried Helnwein (born 1948) – one of the most famous contemporary Austrian artists
Hand signed lower right in pencil ‘G. Helnwein’
Numbered lower left in pencil ‘180/250’
Edition by Galerie Pelikan/Lemanczyk, Starnberg-Wangen (dry stamp)
Print by Graphische Kunstwerkstätte Emil Matthieu, Zürich (dry stamp)
Dimensions: 102 x 72 cm
Very good condition
Provenance: Austrian private collection
Gottfried Helnwein is currently one of the most exciting contemporary Austrian artist. Last year he was honored with a retrospective at the Albertina in Vienna and a new auction record for one of his works has only recently been achieved: his paintings fetch up to 110,000 euros at auction

This magnificent print originates from the Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein and was created after the drawing ‘Der Frevel’ (= the crime) from the year 1986. It shows a theme which occupies a central position in the artist’s oeuvre – the child. By the end of the 1970s, Helnwein had become known for his hyperrealist images of wounded and bandaged children. The young girl presented here seems unharmed at the first glance, but as she stands in an empty environment only in her white dress and red sandals, holding both hands in front of her face, is an utmost sad and desperate sight. The dramatic effect is reinforced by the strong theater light coming from the right.

The main work, the drawing ‘Der Frevel’, is an outstanding work in the artistic quality and will be on sale at our Post-War & Contemporary Art auction on Wednesday, April the 16th 2014.



Helnwein’s imageries are heavily influenced by the artist’s own childhood experiences in a bleak post-war Vienna. It is savage, cruel and of monumental expressiveness. Helnwein’s art asks unpleasant questions, subverts the beholder’s mechanisms of repression. But we are left to our own with the search of an answer. Flawlessly executed, this work on paper is undoubtedly a major work by the artist. A powerful image that, like all of Helnwein’s works is deeply touching.



The offset lithograph in colors is hand signed lower right in pencil ‘G. Helnwein’, and numbered lower left in pencil ‘180/250’. Furthermore there are the dry stamps of the editor and the press. It is in very good condition with traces of wear. The dimensions are 102 x 72 cm.



Gottfried Helnwein (b. 1948)

Gottfried Helnwein was born 1948 in Vienna and is considered one of the best-known Austrian contemporary artists. He studied painting in Rudolf Hausner’s (1914-1995) master class at the Academy of the Fine Arts in Vienna between 1969 and 1973. Helnwein often works with diverse materials and has consequently created an extensive body of work already, including paintings, photography, performance and installations. In 1997 he moved to Ireland with his family and became an Irish citizen in 2004. He purchased a second studio in Los Angeles in 2002. Gottfried Helnwein is internationally successful and his works are exhibited worldwide. He has had numerous solo exhibitions, for example in Paris, San Francisco, Beijing or Saint Petersburg. Earlier this year a large retrospective of his works was shown in the Albertina in Vienna. Gottfried Helnwein lives and works in Ireland and Los Angeles.

Due to the legal obligation for the resale royalty in the art market the following applies: As a result of its membership in the AV Kunst, Auctionata charges additionally to the hammer price the contribution to the AV Kunst of currently 2.1% of the revenues from the sale of fine arts and photographs pro rata towards the buyer. More information about royalty right in our T&C.