Edith Considers Her Options

51 x 76 cm / 20 x 30 in

Gouache on Yupo paper

This gouache portrait was inspired by a painting that Egon Schiele did of his wife and muse, Edith.

From what I have read about their marriage, it began as a pragmatic choice from Egon's side. He had been intensely involved with another woman, Wally, who had been his muse for many years. With time, Egon and Edith's marriage turned into something more and Edith became his prime muse. Her journal entries show that even though she loved him, she felt he kept a lot of himself hidden from her - especially his artistic side.

Whenever I see his portraits of Edith, there is an obvious sadness to her. I think she must have felt lonely in their marriage to a degree, and this always comes through in how he portrays her. When I look at her body language/gaze in all of his paintings of her, I feel as though by painting her, and in turn, her agreeing to sit for him, they were both attempting to somehow close the gap between them.