Adele Harms, 1913 - 1914

Adele Harms (1890–1968), the sister of Edith Schiele (1893–1918), is standing on a platform, modeling a modern, sleeveless two-piece suit, probably made from a rather coarse taffeta fabric, wearing a bright, loose blouse made from a flowing material underneath. Her two hands casually buried in her skirt pockets, she is looking confidently at the camera. The photograph was doubtlessly a fashion shot, perhaps taken for the Wiener Werkstätte. What is striking is the clothing’s avant-garde design. Adele shared her love of fashion with Egon Schiele’s (1890–1918) younger sister Gertrude (1894–1981); the latter even worked as a model for the Wiener Werkstätte. Adele was active primarily as a milliner and created several hat designs, for instance for a “Mrs. Harta”, probably Elisabeth Harta, née Hermann, who in 1914 married the artist Felix Albrecht Harta (1884–1967).

KJ, 2024