Death and the Maiden

In the dark void, an emaciated maiden clings fiercely to a man in a dark, monk-like robe.
Beneath their feet, an unsettling ground spreads, resembling either rippling sheets or an open grave.

The title, 'Death and the Maiden,' is a traditional motif depicted in European art since ancient times.
In 1915, as World War I intensified and the shadow of death enveloped Europe,
it is often said that the painter Egon Schiele, having received a conscription order from the Austrian army, depicted the existential fear of not knowing when he might lose his life on the front lines.

However, in reality, this is not merely a religious didactic painting, nor does it solely depict the fear of war.
It is 'the last and greatest farewell' to a single woman, imbued with intense guilt over his own selfish betrayal and the eternal longing for a lost love.

The maiden's model was Valerie 'Wally' Neuzil.
Since 1911, she had been Schiele's beloved companion, who supported him through his most difficult times, when he faced social hardship and was plagued by scandals such as arrest.
Wally served as the model for numerous masterpieces and was also the greatest connoisseur of his art.

However, in 1915, Schiele made a cruel decision.
Seeking social stability as a middle-class citizen and economic benefits, he decided to marry another woman, Edith Harms, who lived across from his studio.
Furthermore, Schiele presented Wally with an unbelievable document.

"I will continue to travel with you alone every year."

A selfish proposal to continue their relationship even after marriage.
Wally rejected it with intense contempt.
And she left Schiele forever.

This painting was created in his studio in the Hietzing district of Vienna immediately after this definitive separation.
Initially, the work was called 'Man and Girl' or 'Entwined Figures'.

The face of Death is Schiele's own self-portrait.
His unfocused, vacant gaze seems to stare into an inescapable fate.
Wally's clothes, clinging to him, are adorned with colorful pastel spots, creating a vivid contrast of light and shadow with the dark robe, along with her exposed white legs.