Wally Neuzil as a Nurse, Probably in Front of the Imperial-Royal Hospital in Sinj, 1917

Walburga “Wally” Neuzil (1894–1917) was Egon Schiele’s (1890–1918) closest confidant for four years. It has not been possible to verify when and where exactly the artist first met Wally, who had moved to Vienna in 1906 and came from humble origins. It is presumed that they met in early 1911; Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) allegedly recommended Wally to Schiele as a model. She soon came to play a key part in Schiele’s life. Apart from frequently posing for the artist, she was an important anchor and loving companion to him in a phase that was crucial to his artistic development but also marked a very difficult period in his life – the so-called “Neulengbach Scandal”. Their situation changed because of Schiele’s acquaintance with and affection for Edith Harms (1893–1918), who lived with her family opposite Schiele’s studio: His breakup with Wally became inevitable. While Schiele married Edith in June 1915, Wally trained as a nurse and worked at an army hospital in Vienna for two years. She was later transferred to the Imperial-Royal Landwehr Hospital in Sinj (now Croatia). Wally is in the center of the back row in the photograph. She died of scarlet fever in December 1917 – aged only 23.

KJ, 2023