Rare and fantastic vintage 7x10-inch sepia-tone portrait by Freulich, in costume as lying lothario Count Sergius Karamzin in the erotic silent drama Foolish Wives (1922), which he also directed, boldly signed in black fountain pen around the time of the film. In fine condition for its age, with a few minute tears confined to the upper and lower borders, and magnificent for framing and display. Mesmerizing Austrian-born director and actor Erich Von Stroheim began his career in D.W. Griffith dramas, where he created his trademark nasty Prussian officer role. His directorial debut, Blind Husbands (1919), was followed by The Devil's Passkey (1920), Foolish Wives (1922) and his masterpiece, Greed (1924), a landmark in film realism which was infamously trimmed down from 9 hours to 140 minutes without his approval just before its release. It was followed by The Merry Widow (1925), The Wedding March (1928) and Queen Kelly (1928). His extravagance and demand for artistic control scuttled his directorial career, and he returned to acting, notably in Grand Illusion (1937) and Sunset Boulevard (1950), perhaps his two best-loved roles.

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