“Double Image,” Sheldon C. Schoneberg (American, 1926–2012), c.1970s hand-pulled color lithograph, 16×26 in, nude at dressing table, signed & numbered 10/375.

“Double Image,” Sheldon C. Schoneberg (American, 1926–2012), c.1970s hand-pulled color lithograph, 16×26 in, nude at dressing table, signed & numbered 10/375.

“Double Image” by Sheldon C. Schoneberg is a luminous, hand-drawn color lithograph that captures a sensual, psychologically rich moment of self-regard. Measuring 16×26 inches and signed and numbered 10/375, this limited-edition original lithograph shows a woman reflected in a tall mirror, her profile doubled and framed by warm wood tones and an enigmatic painting in the background. Printed in lush pastel hues with strong draftsmanship, this work exemplifies Schoneberg’s celebrated figurative style—ideal for collectors of mid-century and late-20th-century American prints, female portraiture, and sensual, narrative art.

Artwork Description

“Double Image” stages a quiet, intimate drama in front of a dressing-table mirror. A dark-haired woman, nude from the shoulders up, turns in three-quarter profile toward the viewer’s right. Her face appears twice: once in the glass and once in reality, creating the “double image” that gives the work its title. The slight shift between the two profiles introduces a sense of time and psychological depth—one face introspective, the other more alive and present.

The mirror’s carved wooden uprights frame the composition like a theatrical proscenium. Their warm ochre and russet tones contrast with the cool gray field behind, which suggests both a bedroom interior and a vaguely abstracted, textured wall. In the upper left, a green-robed figure in a framed painting (or another reflection) introduces an almost symbolic or art-historical echo—like a Madonna haloed above the modern sitter, linking Schoneberg’s contemporary subject with older traditions of female portraiture.

Schoneberg renders skin with subtle gradations of pink, cream, and golden undertones, using lithographic crayon and washes to create the velvety surface texture for which his pastels and prints are known. The sitter’s dark hair is drawn with energetic, calligraphic strokes, conveying both volume and softness. A delicate gold necklace and earring add a glint of luxury and emphasize the curve of neck and shoulder.

The work is a hand-pulled, hand-drawn color lithograph on paper, created by the artist using traditional lithographic stones or plates. It is pencil-signed “SC Schoneberg” at the lower right and pencil-numbered 10/375 along the lower margin. At 16 × 26 inches, the horizontal format enhances the mirror’s breadth and the sense of reflection and self-examination. The print comes from the inventory of the retired Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC, and has never been framed or displayed, preserving the freshness of the image.

Biography of Sheldon C. Schoneberg (1926–2012)

Sheldon C. Schoneberg (often signing as S.C. or Shelley Schoneberg) was an American painter, printmaker, muralist, sculptor, and teacher whose career spanned more than six decades and multiple continents. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1926 and raised in Beverly Hills, California, he showed early talent and pursued formal art training at several distinguished institutions.

His education began at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, one of the leading West Coast art schools of the mid-20th century. He continued his studies at the University of Southern California, earning a B.F.A. cum laude and an M.F.A. in 1951. Schoneberg broadened his horizons with additional study at UCLA, the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, Italy, and the Universidad Michoacana in Morelia, Mexico, where he completed further graduate work and became deeply engaged with fresco techniques and Latin American mural traditions.

Schoneberg’s early career was influenced by the dynamic artistic climate of the 1950s—when Abstract Expressionism and post-war modernism were reshaping American art—but he developed a highly personal figurative language. His signature works are sumptuous pastel drawings and oil paintings of female nudes, flowered women, gypsies, costumed musicians, vagabonds, and children, often characterized by rich color, expressive line, and a lingering sense of narrative or psychological complexity. He also created murals, frescoes, bronzes, tapestries, etchings, lithographs, giclées, and posters, demonstrating a wide technical range.

One of his notable projects is the fresco “Genesis I” in the National Museum of Mexico (Mexico City), a testament to his skill in large-scale public art. Over the course of his career, Schoneberg participated in more than 220 exhibitions, including at least 82 one-man shows, across North America and Europe.

His academic career was equally distinguished. He taught at Santa Monica College (as early as 1947) and at the Hollywood Art Center School in 1950. Schoneberg achieved the academic rank of Full Professor of Art at both the State University of New York at New Paltz (appointed in 1964) and the University of Southern Maine in Gorham(from 1967), where he founded the university’s art gallery. After moving permanently to his summer home in Maine in 1991, he continued teaching drawing and painting at the University of New England for roughly a decade.

Schoneberg’s work is represented in numerous public collections, including:

• Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, Switzerland

• Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado

• Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, California

• Public Library of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

• Centre Genevois de Gravure Contemporaine, Geneva

• University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Maine

• Fisk University Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

• Betzalel National Museum (now part of the Israel Museum), Jerusalem, Israel

• Anne Frank House Foundation, Amsterdam, Holland

• Hellenic-American Union, Athens, Greece

• Multiple hospitals, churches, cultural centers, and foundations across the U.S. and Europe

He also held prominent solo exhibitions at venues such as Galerie Seine 38 in Paris, Harrison Galleries in Vancouver, Galerie du Carlton in Cannes, Università Popolare di Padova in Italy, Kunsthandel Monet in Amsterdam, Gallery Hawaii in Honolulu, Triton Museum of Art in California, Intercontinental Artist Guild in the Bahamas, Galerie del Cisne in Madrid, Fisk University Art Museum, Anne Frank House Gallery, Brooks Memorial Art Museum in Memphis, and Galerie Modern Nordisk Kunst in Gothenburg, Sweden, among many others.

Schoneberg passed away in 2012, leaving behind a substantial legacy of figurative art that merges classical training, international influences, and a distinctly personal romanticism. Works like “Double Image” showcase his fascination with identity, sensuality, and the interplay between surface appearance and inner life.

Sheldon C. Schoneberg (American, 1926–2012), “Double Image”, c.1970s, hand-pulled color lithograph on paper, 16×26 in, signed lower right and numbered 10/375. Intimate mirrored portrait of a seated nude woman at her dressing table; rich pastel palette and strong figurative draftsmanship. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.

Certificate of Value & Authentication

Artist: Sheldon C. Schoneberg (1926–2012)
Title: Double Image
Date: c.1970s
Medium: Hand-drawn, hand-pulled color lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 16 × 26 inches
Edition: 10/375
Signature: Hand-signed “SC Schoneberg” in pencil at lower right; numbered 10/375 along lower margin
Printer/Technique: Traditional lithography, likely using multiple stones or plates for layered color and pastel-like textures

Condition:
Unmatted, never framed or displayed; image area in very good, frameable vintage condition with minor, expected age toning to margins.

Authenticity Statement:
This work is an original limited-edition lithograph by Sheldon C. Schoneberg. Signature, edition number, paper type, and printing quality are consistent with other authenticated Schoneberg prints and with documentation from Mitch Morse Gallery. To the best of our knowledge, it is a genuine work by the artist.

Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)

• Sheldon C. Schoneberg (1926–2012) – artist; created, signed, and editioned the lithograph
• Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY – acquired directly from the artist or his authorized distributor; held in gallery inventory
• Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC – current owner, acquired from retired Mitch Morse Gallery holdings