Edith Schiele (1893–1918) posed several times like a mannequin at the studio of her husband Egon Schiele (1890–1918), presenting herself with an air of confidence, cf.
Edith Schiele with Fox Fur and Black Skirt. In this photograph, she is wearing a two-piece suit with a fur stole and a wide-brimmed hat. At her feet, we see her dog Lord, sitting comfortably on a cushion and looking attentively at the camera. Two oil paintings, which the artist was working on, are visible to the left and right in the background:
Girl (Kallir P305), created in 1917, and
Reclining Woman; the latter work is kept today at the Leopold Museum. Owing to the year of the works’ creation, we can also date the photograph to 1917. Edith likely modeled for both paintings, though Schiele did not render his wife’s physiognomy and hairstyle. We know that Edith did not enjoy being painted in the nude, as she did not want to be seen like that in public. The work
Girl was first exhibited in 1917 in Stockholm, while
Reclining Woman was shown in March 1918 at the Vienna Secession during an exhibition that won Schiele his first major success.
KJ, 2024
