Egon Schiele

Glowacki (sold: Klipstein & Kornfeld, Bern, May 11, 1963, lot 995)

Rudolf Leopold, Vienna

Serge Sabarsky, New York

Saidenberg Gallery, New York

Gift of the above to the present owner

Vienna, Antiquariat Steinbach, circa 1960, no. 4

London, Marlborough Fine Art, Egon Schiele: Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 1964, no. 64

Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele, The Complete Works, New York, 1998, no. 1286, illustrated p. 498

Good condition. The sheet is hinged to the mount along the top edge. The paper is slightly time-stained, and there are pin-point spots of foxing, visible in the catalogue illustration, that are scattered through the center of the sheet. There is a diagonal crease through the upper right corner, and there is some minimal creasing to the extreme edge along the lower left. The sheet bears a deckled edge on the right, inherent to the support, and there is some minor discoloration around the edges. The gouache itself is fresh and bright, and the composition itself is in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This image of a semi-nude girl depicted in an unusual position, half-seated, half-crouching, exemplifies an important change that occured in Schiele's art during this period.  Discussing his works on paper from 1913, Jane Kallir explained: 'This year [...] produces one of the most profound changes of the artist's career: the switch from two-dimensional to three-dimensional orientation, which will shape his drawing style for good.  In keeping with his Jugendstil conditioning, Schiele prior to 1913 had been in thrall to the flatness of the picture plane, its negative spaces, and to the tactile qualities of pigment for pigment's sake.  Realistic verisimilitude was formerly of secondary importance only.  Now this begins to change' (J. Kallir, op. cit., p. 490). Schiele was able to render his figures three-dimensionally by depicting his models from an unusual vantage point, often from above, standing on a ladder in his studio, as might have been the case with the present work.  The use of foreshortening and the depiction of stylized, elongated limbs are combined here to create a dynamic composition, with the model's head hidden from the viewer's direct gaze.

 

Although the girl's face is not clearly shown, according to Jane Kallir, Otto Benesch identified the model in this work as Valerie (Wally) Neuzil, distinguished for her bright colored hair.  Schiele first met Wally in 1911, at the time when she was seventeen years old, and had already worked as a model for Klimt.  Alessandra Comini wrote about Neuzil: 'A red-headed young Viennese model with haunting blue-green eyes, Wally had been sent to Schiele by Klimt, and she followed the artist from Krumau to Neulengbach, settling down with him in the small garden house there.  She became his devoted companion and mistress, posing for love and managing the more mundane aspects of the household [...].  During the years 1911 to 1914 Wally posed for scores of erotic work' (A. Comini, Egon Schiele's Portraits, Berkeley, Los Angeles & London, 1990, p. 99).