Gertrude Schiele, before 1909

This particularly beautiful and elegant portrait photograph of Gertrude Schiele (1894–1981) exists in three different versions (cf. Gertrude Peschka, Gertrude Peschka): “Gerti” was photographed twice from the side; once, she is looking directly at the camera, in the present portrait she is looking down, while in the third photograph, she is depicted more from the front and gazing towards the left. Particularly striking is her pinned updo, surrounded by a hair band, and adorned with numerous leaves and cherry-like fruit on the back of her head. On the visible right side, her hair is further decorated with a circular clasp, which can also be discerned in several works by Egon Schiele (1890–1918), including preliminary drawings and the painting Portrait of Gerti Schiele, 1909, which is kept today at the New York Museum of Modern Art (Inv.-No. 451.82) and was once owned by Rudolf Leopold. This portrait photograph likely served as inspiration to Schiele and was printed as a picture postcard.

KJ, 2024