Letter from Egon Schiele to Marie Schiele, 15th Jun. 1913

Transcription:

15th July 1913.
Tuesday.

Dear M. [Mother], I understand everything, gladly, believe me; but you are doing me an injustice. – I’m going because of my work, this also costs less than Vienna; I want to enjoy my happiness with the world, this is why I can create; but woe to him who takes this from me. – From nothing, and no one helped me, I owe what I have only to myself. It is easy when one has a salary. – I have no money put away, I live from one day to the next, that is my happiness. If I had any saved, I would give it away. I don’t need any pretense.
But you continually treat me unjustly because you don’t understand that I absolutely need all of that in order to attain this. – Why don’t you help me? – I had to go through much more than you, relatively up to now, why can’t I be granted my freedom, this is naturally the greatest good, and it took and takes an endless fight. – A pity for him who does not fight. – Have patience! – Seek the good in the primitive! You will achieve it! And be happy. Not the room! Get out!
But whoever doubts my sentiments, the remembrance of the dead, they pierce my heart. I do not weep with tears and do not remember with money. – Whoever knows me knows this! This is why I have doubts about you. Mere banality! Living and dying is beautiful. I look forward to both! As long as there are elements, the bodies will meet! If I had money right now I would immediately send whatever I had. But I must wait! And believe me that the first thing I planned to do was to immediately send money to finally have the grave fixed; but I’m not sitting on money, haven’t saved so much as a heller.
Tell [Anton] Peschka he should without fail ask Hauser, not Kleiner but Hauser, what a thick base, let’s say 100 cm x 80 cm of cast stone!

[sketch]

that is concrete, what such a base for a ceramic work I am making would cost. – I think not more that 150 K [crowns]. Peschka should write to me immediately!: Egon Schiele
current address: Art Writer
Arthur Rößler
presently Altmünster am Traunsee
Haus Gaigg. With the warmest regards
Egon.