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Lot Essay
A closely related portrait of August Lederer from this series was sold in these rooms on 7 February 2013 for GBP 289,250.
August Lederer was, along with his wife Serena Lederer, born Serena Pulitzer 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.
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).
In this exquisite drawing of his friend and patron from 1918, Schiele spectacularly 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. The eyes of the sitter are sharp and precise while the extraordinary rich, dark, jagged outline of his jacket brilliantly articulates the rest of the picture. This drawings is a masterwork of Schiele's late style in which the artist's complete command of his medium allowed him to create stunning and sharp portraits using only a bare minimum of means.
August Lederer was, along with his wife Serena Lederer, born Serena Pulitzer 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.
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).
In this exquisite drawing of his friend and patron from 1918, Schiele spectacularly 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. The eyes of the sitter are sharp and precise while the extraordinary rich, dark, jagged outline of his jacket brilliantly articulates the rest of the picture. This drawings is a masterwork of Schiele's late style in which the artist's complete command of his medium allowed him to create stunning and sharp portraits using only a bare minimum of means.