Schiele & Peschka A Family Affair

A story linking two artistic families—and revealing new insights into Egon Schiele’s world—lies behind the “Peschka Collection.”

Schiele’s sister Gerti married his close friend and painter Anton Peschka. Their son, Anton Peschka Jr., bequeathed his entire estate to Vienna in 1997: a time capsule of early 20th-century creative life, required to open publicly as the “Peschka Collection.”

It encompasses renowned paintings and drawings, Schiele’s studio furniture, souvenirs, decor, art magazines, books, family photos, and letters—materials enabling a first detailed view of Schiele’s family connections.

Fresh documents uncover his previously unknown first-born niece and revisit a key Schiele debate: Did Peschka ever imitate his style to sell fakes as originals?

Most striking: Schiele’s original glass display cabinet, complete with books, objects, and mementos—a personal “cabinet of curiosities” shown publicly now as an early “artist’s collection.”

This estate enriches our understanding of Schiele while offering an intimate look at both families’ lives and artistic drives.