Search tips

The EGON SCHIELE AUTOGRAPH DATABASE (ESDA) currently comprises approximately 2,940 entries. We recommend you read the following tips to achieve optimal search results.

Full-Text Search

One or several keywords may be entered into the search field. The search engine will show you those objects from the database that contain at least one of the keywords in the title, the transcription, the annotations, the inventory evidence or the motif description. Misspellings are compensated through typo tolerance; exact results can be achieved by placing quotation marks before and after a term or sequence of words. For date queries, please enter the date in an 8-digit format (DD.MM.YYYY). When searching without entering a search term, the search engine will show all the objects in the database.

As the process of translating the transcriptions into English has not yet been completed, we recommend that search terms be entered in German, if possible.

Advanced Options

The search options placed under the full-text search allow for a particularly precise search:

Nebehay 1979

In his publication Egon Schiele 1890–1918. Leben, Briefe, Gedichte, (Salzburg/Vienna 1979), the art dealer, collector and author Christian M. Nebehay published Egon Schiele’s correspondence, as well as miscellanea relating to the artist, that were known up until that point, in chronological order. The majority of documents in the publication are either only partly transcribed or not transcribed at all. By entering the Nebehay number, you can access the corresponding entry in the ESDA containing all currently available information.

ESDA ID

The ESDA ID is the number attached to the objects in the database. By entering the ESDA ID, you can access the individual objects directly.

Search Results

The search results appear in order of relevance, but alternatively, you can select for them to be sorted by date. When a search yields a high number of results, filters can be applied to narrow the search. By clicking the star symbol, individual objects can be added to your favorites, which may be saved in the section My Collection. The storage period is dependent upon the local memory of your browser (see Privacy).

Filter

  • Date: Narrows the search results to a specific period. We recommend resetting the filter each time prior to entering a new date or time period.
  • Persons/Institutions: Search results can be filtered according to the persons or institutions linked to the fields Author, Signee, Recipient, Mentioned person, Mentioned institution. References to persons and institutions mentioned in the documents are continuously added.
  • Material/Technique
  • Categories: This filter differentiates between documents from/to Egon Schiele, documents from third parties to third parties, as well as miscellanea and paintings. The choice of paintings is limited to those works directly or likely mentioned in the documents.
  • Types: This filter allows you to search letters, postcards, art postcards, poems, biographical documents, diaries, sketchbooks, notes, etc.

Object Details

When selecting one of the search results, all available details on the object will appear in the detail view:

  • ESDA ID: Numbers of the objects in the present database, with the exception of paintings.
  • J. Kallir 1990/1998: Numbers of the works according to Jane Kallir’s catalogue raisonné Egon Schiele. The Complete Works. The Expanded Edition, (New York 1990/1998) and her online catalogue raisonné.
  • Nebehay 1979: Numbers given to the archival material by Christian M. Nebehay in his publication Egon Schiele 1890–1918. Leben, Briefe, Gedichte (Salzburg/Vienna 1979). Additionally, you will find a reference as to whether the publication offers no transcription or transcriptions of parts of the document.
  • Inventory evidence: Information pertaining to the inventory evidence or the right holders, including an inventory number, where applicable.
  • Place: If known, the place is cited where the sender wrote a document or where they sent it from. The relevant information is taken from address details provided in the letter head or envelope, derived from the postmark or inferred from references in the content.
  • Date: Date format DD.MM.YYYY – additional information as to the dating system is provided in brackets.
  • Material/Technique
  • Dimensions: Height x width. Additional information is provided in brackets.
  • Transcription: Citation of the transcription with alignment without consideration of parentheses. Individual pages are marked with the symbol “||”. Additions to the text are given in square brackets. Misspellings in the original are marked with an exclamation mark in square brackets “[!]”. Annotations pertaining to the content are marked with consecutive Arabic numerals in square brackets “[1]” and are given in the field Annotations.
  • Annotations: Additional information pertaining to the content of the transcriptions. Works by Schiele are cited with the title, date and number provided in Jane Kallir’s catalogue raisonné (1990/1998).
  • Motif: Motifs from picture and art postcards, (partial) transcriptions of pre-printed forms (letter paper, forms, etc.), details on drawings in the artist’s own hand.
  • Provenance: Information as to possible previous owners of the archival material or historical ownership information.
  • Recorded in: Citation of further publications in which the object is listed (short form citation). Short form citations are set out in full in the menu item Bibliography.
  • Owner, Author, Signee, Recipient, Mentioned person, Mentioned institution: List of persons or institutions holding one or more of these roles. References to persons and institutions mentioned in the documents are continuously added. When selecting one of the links, a new search query will show all the objects in the databased linked to the specific person/institution.
  • Image credit: Photo and image credit, which is also shown directly underneath each individual illustration.

The objects, exhibitions and publications linked to the data sets are listed below and link directly to the corresponding entries.

For queries, please contact: egonschiele@leopoldmuseum.org.
English