Letter from Egon Schiele to Carl Reininghaus, 1st Jun. 1913

Translation of the Transcription:

1st June 1913.

Dear Mr. Reininghaus!
It is correct that you gave me 1800 c [crowns] last year while I gave you the certain portrait of a painter and at least 15 drawings.
For the portrait please: 400 c
15 drawings: 225 c
625 c

Your credit thus amounts to: 1175 c.

Perhaps you will agree to the following suggestion:
You will certainly remember the new picture with the striding figures and prophets, “Conversion”; it is sized 200 cm x 300 cm and I recall that you liked this picture best; of course, it is far from finished and I would like to ask in advance, should you be willing to purchase it for your credit and a surcharge, that you allow me to complete it by autumn at the latest and permit me to exhibit it; it is not impossible, of course, that I will have completed it in within a month. – I think it is one of my best works yet and I would be delighted to see a mature and characteristic work, of which I know that it is good and created with the most heartfelt emotions, in your gallery. – I do not know how far you have gone along with me, but I know that the work will delight you; this is why I will reduce the price greatly and I believe myself to be fair when I ask 2000 c for it.

I would like to add and remind you of the fact that you gave me 1200 c for a picture sized 150 cm x 150 cm and (16 ?) drawings in 1910, when I was only starting out and had certainly not developed as much.

Maybe my suggestion will please you. In that case there remained 825 c for you to pay; to me it would make no difference if you gave them to me now or upon completion of the work. – Please tell me what you think.

With kindest regards, hoping to see you soon.

Egon Schiele

[note added by the recipient:]
Yes, but not as a payment, rather as an encouragement.