Exhibition Egon Schiele at the lower Belvedere in Vienna

19/10/2018 > 17/02/2019

The making of a collection

“[…] I think it may be time for at least one painting to be hanging at the St.-G. [Staatsgalerie].” 
Egon Schiele to his friend and patron Arthur Roessler, 21 June 1916

His wish would be fulfilled as there are now a total of twenty works by Egon Schiele in the Belvedere’s collection, including two permanent loans. 2018 is the centenary of his death. Marking this occasion, an in-depth exhibition considers all of the artist’s works that are – or were – in the Belvedere’s collection. It traces the genesis of a collection and also presents new findings about Schiele’s works. Highlights include Eduard KosmackPortrait of Wally NeuzilFacade of a HouseDeath and MaidenEmbrace, and Four Trees.

Curator Kerstin Jesse answers questions about the works’ acquisition and motifs, shedding light, for example, on the people portrayed in the images. The show is enriched by many loans, especially preliminary studies and sketches related to the works at the Belvedere. Preparations for the exhibition included scientific analyses resulting in new findings about the artist’s painting technique and working methods and these will also be presented for the first time. In addition, it features a selection of papers and documents from the archives, some which have never been on public view before and offer deeper insights into the acquisition histories and the fates of individual collectors.

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Picture: Egon Schiele, Embrace, 1917 © Belvedere, Vienna