Letter from Egon Schiele to Anton Peschka, 12th May 1910

Transcription:

[written by a foreign hand:]
To Painter A. Peschka 1910.

I wish to leave Vienna, very soon. How ugly it is here. Everybody is envious of me and deceitful; former colleagues look at me with dissembling eyes, in Vienna there is only shadow, the city is black, everything is done by recipe. I want to be alone. I wish to visit the Bohemian Forest. May, June, July, August, September, October; I have to see new things and learn about them, want to taste dark waters, to see crashing trees, untamed air, want to look in wonder at moldy garden fences how they all live, young birch groves and hear the shaking leaves, want to see light, the sun and savor wet green-blue evening valleys, feel goldfish gleaming, see white clouds amass, to speak to flowers, flowers. Grasses, to look deeply upon pink people, know to say old dignified churches, small cathedrals, want to run off without heed over round field-mountains through wide plains, want to kiss the earth and smell warm marsh marigolds, then I will give shape with beauty – colorful fields. In the early morning, I wish to see again the sun rise and be able to watch the breathing earth glimmering.

Now then, active being! I! Be always eternal current. You me green valley, you look green water-air fills you, you. I cry, out of half-open eyes red, large tears, when I can see you. You pain-eye; you feel the wet forest wind. You who can smell, how wonderfully you must breathe divine breath. Friend, crying, I laugh. Friend, I think of you in me there is you.

Lay there …. until I hear.

Buy me a panel that I sent to the hunting exhibit, I keep it that short, why say it any differently, for I want to be free as soon as possible everything oppresses me.

[illegible]