Egon Schiele

Galleria Tazzoli, Turin
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1950s

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount at the upper two corners and at the centre of the lower edge, and floating in the overmount. The sheet is slightly timestruck and is very slightly undulated towards the centre of the lower edge. There are small areas of pale discolouration to all four corners, due to the glue from previous mounting. There are two small creases to the upper edge, some extremely minor foxing in places and a few tiny specks of white discolouration. Otherwise, this work is in overall good condition. Colours: fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, though overall slightly warmer in the original.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Schlafende Frau (Wally Neuzil) is a wonderfully intimate portrait of Egon Schiele's lover, muse and model Wally. Born Walburga Neuzil, she was the daughter of a labourer and a Bohemian schoolteacher who died young, an event which prompted the family's move to Vienna, where Wally's fateful initial encounter with Schiele took place around 1911, when she was only 17 years old. In the present work, Wally is depicted sleeping with her head gently turned to the right. Delineating her head with assured pencil lines, the artist highlights Wally's lips with a red watercolour and emphasises her distinctive long red hair, held off her face by a black hairband, in gouache.

In the words of Jane Kallir: 'over the course of 1912, Schiele's approach gradually toughened. Softer leads yielded darker, more substantial lines, and his forms became more angular. He mixed less water with his watercolours, or combined watercolour with denser, drier gouache. This allowed him once again to stress contrast between thickly brushed areas, such as hair or clothing, and wash-tinted flesh' (Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele, Drawings & Watercolours, New York, 2003, pp. 191-92).

In June 1915, Schiele married Edith Harms, who quite understandably demanded that Schiele end his relationship with Wally. Wally attempted a fresh start in life, beginning training as a nurse. She then left Vienna in 1917 to work in Dalmatia, where she died of scarlet fever in the same year. After their separation, Schiele never saw her again.