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Lot Essay
This exquisite drawing, with its detailed portrait head and its jagged charcoal line delineating the fur in which its sitter is wrapped, is one of three known portrait drawings of Serena Lederer that Egon Schiele made in 1917. Each of these drawings is a masterwork of Schiele's late style in which the artist's complete command of his medium allowed him to create stunning portraits using only a bare minimum of means.
Serena Lederer, born Serena Pulitzer was, along with her husband August and their son Erich, among Schiele's most important patrons. Schiele had been introduced to the Lederer family by Gustav Klimt. The Lederers were also the most important patrons and collectors of Klimt's work, amassing a vast collection of his work, much of which was later destroyed in the Second World War. Serena Lederer, a famous beauty in her youth, had been first painted by Klimt in 1888 and was later the subject of a major full-length portrait in 1899 now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She also commissioned from Klimt a now famous portrait of her daughter Elizabeth in 1914 and also of her mother, Charlotte Pulitzer, in 1917.
Schiele, who by 1917 had been on friendly terms with the Lederers for over four years, knew the family well. Through the encouragement of their son Erich, August and Serena had been persuaded to buy what Erich once described as 'more Schiele drawings than there were days in the year' (Erich Lederer, quoted in C.M. Nebehay, Egon Schiele: Sketchbooks, London, 1989, p. 63).
Most notable about this drawing from 1917 is the spectacular way in which Schiele has allowed the empty space of the blank paper to complete the work, filling in the form and volume of the figure while his drawing concentrates only on the most essential details. Serena's still beautiful face is magically captured looking fondly towards the viewer while the extraordinary rich, dark, jagged outline of her fur coat brilliantly articulates the rest of the picture. The fullness of her form is finally completed with a seemingly incidental but in fact essential detail of the angle of her coat sleeve with her hand placed firmly in her coat pocket.
Serena Lederer, born Serena Pulitzer was, along with her husband August and their son Erich, among Schiele's most important patrons. Schiele had been introduced to the Lederer family by Gustav Klimt. The Lederers were also the most important patrons and collectors of Klimt's work, amassing a vast collection of his work, much of which was later destroyed in the Second World War. Serena Lederer, a famous beauty in her youth, had been first painted by Klimt in 1888 and was later the subject of a major full-length portrait in 1899 now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She also commissioned from Klimt a now famous portrait of her daughter Elizabeth in 1914 and also of her mother, Charlotte Pulitzer, in 1917.
Schiele, who by 1917 had been on friendly terms with the Lederers for over four years, knew the family well. Through the encouragement of their son Erich, August and Serena had been persuaded to buy what Erich once described as 'more Schiele drawings than there were days in the year' (Erich Lederer, quoted in C.M. Nebehay, Egon Schiele: Sketchbooks, London, 1989, p. 63).
Most notable about this drawing from 1917 is the spectacular way in which Schiele has allowed the empty space of the blank paper to complete the work, filling in the form and volume of the figure while his drawing concentrates only on the most essential details. Serena's still beautiful face is magically captured looking fondly towards the viewer while the extraordinary rich, dark, jagged outline of her fur coat brilliantly articulates the rest of the picture. The fullness of her form is finally completed with a seemingly incidental but in fact essential detail of the angle of her coat sleeve with her hand placed firmly in her coat pocket.