Letter from Josefine Harms to Marie Schiele, 13th Dec. 1918

This is the first part of the letter, which is continued on this sheet.

Transcription:

Vienna, 13th Dec. 18.

I had to let a few days pass and re-read your letter repeatedly, because I cannot believe its insulting content. I would not have thought it possible that the person I have known you to be from the beginning, until recently, could ever write such words.
I presume you wrote them in an extremely aggravated state of unsound mind filled with disastrous L. [?]. You doubt that Egon [Schiele] wrote a testament and so does my own son (which son do you mean?) so the testament must be forged and probably
by me; it would be better if you chose your words more carefully, I will take it as an outpouring of your sick imagination this time, but I insist that you do not test my patience again. You write that Egon did not think about dying but he was thinking, since he was married and a soldier, first and foremost of his wife; after she preceded him in death, his estate is yours by law.
What are you complaining about? You speak of things that have gone missing, to our mutual distress we had two thieves as maids at the time in question:
the apprentice of whom your daughter allegedly said: she only had six pairs of pants and so few things it was disgusting! But I am not competent to confirm any such remarks nor can I believe it, since the girl is imprisoned at the state court after she stole 200 c. [crowns] from my purse and misappropriated 384 c. of collected money
that belonged to my daughter; I made inquiries about the second one and learned that she was expelled from the girls’ home because of her poor conduct.
As for the emptying of the sideboard it is once more clear that your memory fails you; on the evening we visited you we agreed to go to the studio together the next day, Sunday, at ½ 9, and from there to the photographer on Lainzerst.[raße] I was not feeling well, so my daughter-in-law accompanied Dela [Adele Harms] in my stead.
I thank you for your lecture on children’s clothing, I paid for it for my Edith; since she cannot use it and since it goes to Dela according to the testament, the matter is closed. Now for a word on exploitation. I could not forgive you this crass word if I didn’t presume you wrote it in a moment of mental confusion; you are probably investigating Egon’s income, but not his expenses, my way of exploiting them was that I helped them out as much as I could in the years [19]15 and [19]16, Egon’s situation
did not improve until he joined the consumers’ co-operative, while I continued to help them until I myself got into financial difficulties and had to sell my house.
This is how I exploited them! In the year [19]18, Egon earned quite a lot, but unfortunately he spent even more, apart from the horrendous cost of his studio, he needed 200 c. daily to support his impoverished colleagues and his sister, who was not living in splendor, as well as her husband and children and, not least, his mother.
You wrote in a letter to my son that you know now why Egon spent so much time at the café, this insinuation could not be misunderstood, after the above-mentioned
apprentice told me that you asked her whether Egon was happy, I don’t think she knew because she was not his confidante; but for your peace of mind I will inform you that the café was more important to Egon than bread and salt to us mere mortals, he went there three times on some days to read foreign newspapers, he needed that for his profession. In reference to your senseless remark that I would never have another son-in-law

like Egon, today is not the first time that I repeat to you that I opposed the marriage with all the power of my authority and was only forced to agree because I was told that the alternative was that it would happen with or without my consent and I am certain that is exactly what would have happened because, as I’m sure you know, Egon was very headstrong. As much as I respected his character, I would not have wished him to be my son-in-law. Because I have always felt that artists should not marry; fortunately, Egon was an exception as an artist as well and my Edith was the right woman for him, he told me so himself. We alone know what sacrifices she made to help Egon in the early days of his military duties. He despaired so much about his unworthy treatment in the military in Neuhaus that he would have taken his own life had Edith not done everything in her power to keep him going.

The true ordeal for both of them began only after Neuhaus, however; I helped them as much as I could, they did not reveal their concerns to you since you could not have helped them anyway but in confidence and between us, from mother to mother, I want to tell you about how these two good souls fought for their existence; but these two distinguished people were not fit to struggle constantly. Egon easily made much money because of his eminent talent and he knew how to enjoy life, I am not surprised that the heirs are disappointed. I am not accountable for anything you are missing, our maids were notorious thieves but it is possible that there was yet a third
thief involved! – To conclude I cannot help but accuse you of being unfeeling and tactless; the eagerness with which you asked for Edith’s fur and her bag, because your
own fur will no longer do for you and your bag is impractical. This has really shaken
us, as have the words of your daughter that Egon would not walk behind a cadaver, I am sure he never said that, educated as he was, because he knew what that word meant.
With all the respect you deserve,
Yours,
Mrs. Jos. [Josefine] Harms.