Egon Schiele: Portrait Of Dr. Erwin Von Graff

Exhibition at the Neue Gallery, New York, 12 February – 4 May 2026

Between 1910 and his death in 1918, Egon Schiele (1890–1918) maintained a close and influential relationship with Dr Erwin von Graff, a Viennese gynaecologist who became both his friend and collaborator. Graff gave Schiele access to his patients—pregnant women, newborns, and postpartum mothers—opening up a world that Schiele captured with raw, emotional intensity. Their friendship, which began with a painted portrait offered in gratitude for a favour, developed into a lasting exchange that profoundly influenced Schiele's exploration of the human body, emotional vulnerability, and the complexities of life and death.

This exhibition catalogue, the first publication to examine this essential relationship in depth, reveals how Graff's medical practice and personal support influenced some of the most expressive and psychologically charged works of modern art. Through Graff's diary and newly discovered archives, it offers a compelling account of creative exchange and trust. Illustrated with works by Schiele from this period, as well as previously unpublished photographs and documents, it offers new insight into the artist's inner world.