Egon Schiele

Marianne Holtermann, London
Perry Lewis
Serge Sabarsky Gallery, New York (acquired from the above in December 1987)
Private Collection (acquired from the above and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 19, 2013, lot 72)
Acquired at the above sale by A. Alfred Taubman

Rosenheim, Städtische Galerie Rosenheim & Vienna, BAWAG Foundation (& travelling), Egon Schiele 1890-1918. 100 Zeichnungen und Aquarelle / Egon Schiele 1890-1918. Cent œuvres sur papier, 1988-93, no. 58, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Milan, Palazzo della Permanente, Egon Schiele: acquarelli e dipinti, 1991, no. 43
Aix-en-Provence, Musée Granet & Albi, Musée Toulouse-Lautrec (& travelling), Egon Schiele: 100 Zeichnungen und Aquarelle, 1993-97, no. 89, illustrated in color in the catalogue
New York, The Serge Sabarsky Foundation, Egon Schiele: Drawings and Watercolors, 1996
New York, Neue Galerie, Egon Schiele: The Ronald S. Lauder and Serge Sabarasky Collections, 2005-06, no. D109, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele: The Complete Works, New York, 1990, no. 1372, illustrated p. 508
Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele: The Complete Works, New York, 1998, no. 1372, illustrated p. 508

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, hinged to the mount on the reverse of the top two corners. The sheet has darkened with age and the edges are stained (not visible when mounted). There are artist's pinholes at the edges. Apart from a small liquid stain next to the knee of the right-hand figure, some tiny losses to the grey pigment and some very small nicks to the right edge, this work 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.

Dating from 1913, Zwei stehende weibliche Halbakte is a remarkable work executed with an extraordinary acuity of line. The tense febrility it captures within the nudes’ lower bodies is exacerbated by the bright patches of gouache which color their remaining clothes. Suspended amidst the paper with only the girls’ anatomies as points of reference, Schiele’s line has left behind the final vestiges of decorative function and now exhibits incisive powers of description. 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" (Jane Kallir, op. cit., p. 490).