Karl Zakovsek, the Forgotten Classmate in Egon Schiele's 1910 Portrait, Recovered Through Family Archive
Karl Zakovsek (1888–1965), who posed for Egon Schiele's 1910 oil painting, shared a studio in Vienna and attended the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alongside Schiele and Anton Peschka starting in 1906. According to Jane Kallir's catalogue, there are four preparatory sketches for the artwork. In 1909, Zakovsek co-signed the Neukunstgruppe manifesto with Schiele and showcased his work at Salon Pisko, but he disappeared from historical records after 1910. He became a drawing professor in 1912 and exited the commercial art scene. His grandson provided evidence such as studio sketches, Zakovsek's 1907 Academy Perspective Prize, and a postcard from Schiele dated September 12, 1910. During WWI, he served with the Red Cross, contracted Spanish flu, and passed away from a heart attack in November 1965. Research conducted by Harold van de Laar.
Key facts
- Karl Zakovsek lived 1888–1965 and was the sitter in Egon Schiele's 1910 oil Portrait of Karl Zakovsek
- Zakovsek and Schiele shared a studio and classroom at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna from 1906, alongside Anton Peschka
- Jane Kallir's catalogue raisonné records four preparatory drawings for the 1910 portrait
- Zakovsek co-signed the 1909 Neukunstgruppe founding manifesto and exhibited at the group's Salon Pisko debut
- He qualified as a permanent state drawing professor in 1912 and won the Academy's Perspective Prize in 1907
- A Schiele invitation postcard to Zakovsek is dated September 12, 1910
- Zakovsek recovered from Spanish flu in South Tyrol on October 31, 1918, the day Schiele died of the pandemic in Vienna
- He cofounded the Künstlergruppe Rosenhügel in 1927 and showed in 1928 with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- He contributed 3,000 hours of labor to cast bricks for his own home and studio
- He died of a heart attack in November 1965 at age 77
Entities
Artists
- Egon Schiele
- Karl Zakovsek
- Anton Peschka
- Jane Kallir
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Harold van de Laar
Institutions
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
- Neukunstgruppe
- Salon Pisko
- Künstlergruppe Rosenhügel
- Red Cross
- schieleandklimt.com
- DailyArt Magazine
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Lavis
- South Tyrol
- Italy
- Krumau
- Český Krumlov