Edith Schiele with Egon Schiele’s Military Colleagues, c. 1916

In June 1915, one year after the outbreak of World War I, Egon Schiele (1890–1918), like many of his fellow artists, was called up for war service. During his time in the military, he primarily carried out administrative work and oversaw the transport of prisoners of war. During his deployment in Liesing and Mühling in 1916, he kept a war diary, in which he mentioned military colleagues including Alfred Pietras (1887–1957), who became close friends with the artist and, according to an entry dated 11th March 1916, even slept over at Schiele’s home. The present photograph, too, documents the friendships that were forged during the artist’s military service; it shows Schiele’s wife Edith (1893–1918) with two of his army comrades. The photograph was likely taken at Schiele’s studio, as suggested by the chairs which also feature in several portrait photographs taken at the studio on Hietzinger Hauptstraße. The same year the photograph was taken, Schiele created a portrait of the colleague shown here sitting on the left One-Year Volunteer Private. Another photograph shows Schiele with the same comrade: Egon Schiele with Two Army Comrades.

LV, 2024