Egon Schiele and Anton Peschka in Krumau, 1910

On 12th May 1910, Egon Schiele (1890–1918) visited the city of Krumau in Bohemia together with his former fellow student Anton Peschka (1885–1940) and the mime artist and painter Erwin Osen (1891–1970), both of whom were members of the artists’ association Neukunstgruppe initiated by Schiele in 1909. Schiele had discovered the charms of his mother Marie Schiele’s (1862–1935) hometown during a family visit to Krumau in 1904, and subsequently visited the city several times. The present photograph shows Schiele (left) and Peschka sitting on a bench. While Peschka is gazing into the distance, Schiele staged himself assuming what looks like an almost clenched pose. Schiele’s expressive body language, which he explored in numerous self-portraits in 1910, might go back to the influence of the pantomime artist Osen, who staged not only his résumé but also himself.

KJ, 2024