Egon Schiele (1890–1918) had three sisters. His eldest sister Elvira Schiele (1883–1893) passed away in 1893 at only 10 years of age. The two other sisters, Melanie (1886–1974) and Gertrude Schiele (1894–1981), outlived their brother by many years.
The 1915 photograph shows 29-year-old Melanie standing behind her mother Marie Schiele (1862–1935), who was 53 years old at the time. The shot is what was known as an express postcard, created by the photographer Heinrich Seering in Hütteldorf. To the right, we see the arm of a third person who was cropped out of the picture. The reverse side of the photographic postcard has a handwritten note: “In memory of a fine autumnal excursion in Hütteldorf on 6th Oct. 1915”.
Like her brother, Melanie pursued artistic activities in her spare time, creating watercolors and drawings. She was also active as a milliner and designed numerous hats. Several photographs show her wearing different, opulent hat creations
Melanie Schiele. Melanie did not have the opportunity to turn her passion into a profession. Instead, she worked as a counter clerk for the railway, where she met her husband Gustav Schuster (1884–1933). As the older sister, she always assumed a protective, motherly role. Following the father’s untimely death in 1905, Melanie looked after her mother and siblings. Later, she took in her sick mother and cared for her until her death.
KJ, 2024
