Edith, Adele, Josefa and Johann Harms, 12th Dec. 1901

This family portrait of Johann Heinrich and Josefa Harms with their two daughters was created at the studio of the photographer Nikolaus Stockmann (1832–1905) on 12th December 1901. The younger sister Edith (1893–1918), nine years old at the time, is seated to the left, holding flowers; her feet are propped up on a pillow and her sister Adele (1890–1986) has her right hand on Edith’s shoulder and is clasping Edith’s forearm with her left hand. The sisters’ close relationship clearly comes across. Josefa Harms, née Bürzner (1850–1939), who had a son called Paul from a previous marriage, is at the center of the picture. She is presumed to have been quite wealthy, since she owned the family’s home at Hietzinger Hauptstraße 114. Schiele moved into a building across the street at no. 101 in 1912 and later made the acquaintance of both Harms daughters.

KJ, 2023