Egon Schiele with Two Army Comrades, 1916

To Egon Schiele (1890–1918), World War I represented a life-changing caesura, especially in terms of his artistic work. Having been deemed unfit for armed combat, he was at least spared deployment on the front. Following his basic military training in Prague, shortly after his wedding in June 1915, he was put in charge of administrative duties and the transport of prisoners of war in and around Vienna. The strict daily routine, having to wear a uniform, and especially the restrictions of his artistic activities, weighed heavily on the artist. On 4th April 1916, he noted in his war diary: “What can be said about the War today – every hour it continues is a waste.” In the present photograph, Schiele already appears somewhat demoralized and worn out. This shot with two of his comrades was taken at the prisoner-of-war camp for Russian officers in Mühling near Wieselburg, where Schiele had been detailed in early May 1916. It wasn’t until January 1917 that he was allowed to return to Vienna, at his own request and thanks to the support of others.

KJ, 2024