Portrait of Edith (the artist's wife) by Egon Schiele, 1915

ABOUT THIS PAINTING

Egon Schiele made this portrait of his new wife, Edith Harms, after their wedding in 1915. The couple married on the same day that Schiele’s parents had wed, thirty-six years earlier – the 17th June. But their wedded joy didn’t last long. Just days after they were pronounced husband and wife, Schiele was served his papers to serve as a soldier in the first World War – an outcome he’d desperately wanted to avoid. This artwork was made whilst Egon was stationed in Prague. In it, Edith can be seen in a brightly coloured dress, fashioned by her own hand from a set of old curtains. It’s clear the new bride was an unwilling model for her artist husband – she’s palpably uncomfortable under his gaze, and looks out of the canvas with wide eyes, her cheeks pink, her fingers pinched together in a gesture of uncertainty. The fact she is portrayed in such generous swathes of fabric is unusual for Schiele, who is best known for his remarkably powerful nudes, the woman in them brimming with sexual energy. When Edith saw it, she felt, indignantly, that she looked like a dumb little doll, a woman without confidence or charisma. Had Egon deliberately cast her as vacuous, or did he want to highlight her innocence and purity? As an artist, it seems he was coming to terms with portraying a woman who didn’t have to be naked in order to hold the viewer’s attention. Ultimately, there’s also tenderness and amusement in her expression – the promise of potential happiness unfurling into their shared future. – Sophie Haydock

Painted: 1915
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Repository: Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Artist: Egon Schiele
Original Format: Oil on canvas