By Katie Davies THE beautiful self-portraits of an Austrian artist, which have been stored in her former home in Hampstead for nearly 50 years, are being moved out with the sale of the property. Marie-Louise von Motesiczky s priceless collection of work

By Katie Davies

THE beautiful self-portraits of an Austrian artist, which have been stored in her former home in Hampstead for nearly 50 years, are being moved out with the sale of the property.

Marie-Louise von Motesiczky's priceless collection of work has been stored at Chesterford Gardens as a tightly-kept secret.

A charitable trust in her honour has been based in the home but is now selling the property for £5.25million.

Philip Green from estate agent Goldschmidt and Howland is leading the sale. He said: "We have been instructed to sell the property on behalf of the Trust. She is a very well-known artist whose pieces have been shown in the Tate Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

"The property is fantastic as well and could have five bedrooms, although it needs to be converted as it has been used as an office for 48 years.

"There are no living heirs of Ms Motesiczky, but the trust was set up to get exposure for her work and help other artists starting out."

Andrew Crosbie from the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust said: "We don't know where we are moving yet but we decided that we didn't need a £6million house for me and lots of paintings. We have 150 pieces altogether and it is a private collection owned by the Trust."

Marie-Louise von Motesiczky was born in Vienna in 1906 to Edmund, a talented amateur cellist and devoted huntsman, and Henriette, who came from a wealthy and cultured family.

Her father died when she was three, leading to a close relationship between Ms Motesiczky and her mother.

She left school at 13 to attend art classes across Europe where she honed her painting skills. In 1938 she fled the Nazis with her family except her brother Karl who refused to leave.

He stayed and sheltered Jewish friends before he was denounced and sent to Auschwitz where he died.

Ms Motesiczky bought the Hampstead home in the 1960s and lived there with her mother until she died in 1978 at the age of 96.

Many of the paintings are of her mother as well as herself. Marie-Louise von Motesiczky died in June 1996.

For more information on the artist and the trust go to www.motesiczky.org.