EGON SCHIELE (1890-1918)

This portrait of Egon Schiele’s wife, Edith Harms, is emblematic of his renderings of her from the late teens. After their wedding in June 1915, the year the present work was drawn, Schiele went on to produce a number of pictures of her in pencil, watercolor, gouache and oil. In the present drawing, Schiele’s iconic rendering of Edith’s updo, elongated face and her alert hypnotic gaze are particularly striking. The portrait’s swift and powerful lines also testify to the artist’s confidence as a draftsman, particularly in the rendering of his wife’s likeness.