Wolfgang Gurlitt
Galleria Galatea, Turin
Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., London
Meshulam Riklis
Annely Juda Fine Art, London

Vienna, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Egon Schiele: Gedächtnisausstellung, 1948, no. 86
Munich, Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt, Egon Schiele, 1957, no. 32
Turin, Galleria Galatea, Schiele, 1963, no. 11
London, Marlborough Fine Art, Egon Schiele: Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 1964, no. 52, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Marlborough Fine Art, Recent Acquisitions, 1967, no. 46, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Marlborough Fine Art, Egon Schiele: Drawings and Watercolors, 1909-1918, 1969, no. 14, illustrated in the catalogue
Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Art Center, Egon Schiele and the Human Form: Drawings and Watercolors, 1971, no. 22, illustrated in the catalogue
Vienna, Galerie Würthle, Egon Schiele, 1977, no. 13, illustrated in the catalogue

Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele: The Complete Works, London, 1998, no. 770, illustrated p. 436

Executed on buff colored wove paper. Sheet his hinged to mount at upper corners on verso. Mat stain at edges of sheet, especially right edge. 1.5 inch horizontal repaired tear at center of right edge. Sheet is time darkened overall. Pigments are bright and fresh. Work is in good condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This wonderfully intimate and tender portrait of a child sleeping with its instantly recognizable sharp pencil lines, densely painted deep orange, together with the sensitive handling of watercolor, combines some of Schiele's most celebrated elements of artistic expression. Indeed, the work is a remarkable example of the artist's ability to deftly juxtapose delicate washes of watercolor with bolder opaque accents of gouache, and of course the trademark pencil contours. Jane Kallir has remarked upon the success of such juxtapositions, discussing the way in which "drawing and painting complement one another rather than vying for prominence"(Jane Kallir, op. cit., p. 433).

The elevated viewpoint is a typical Schiele motif, one which adds to the profound sense of dislocation in the spaces his figures inhabit. What makes the work particularly intriguing is the ambiguity of the relationship of this figure to her surrounding. It is left to the viewer to interpret the work as they choose, and although not strictly a nude, it may also be interesting to consider the work in the light of Kallir's argument that "in a sense, Schiele himself is the true subject of all his 1911 nudes, of both genders" (Jane Kallir, Egon Schiele: Drawings and Watercolours, London 2003, p. 141).