The Egon Schiele Masterpiece That Survived Nazi Occupation

When Elsa Koditschek was forced from her home and stripped of her possessions in 1940, Egon Schiele’s masterpiece City in Twilight was lost to her family as another casualty of the oppressive Nazi regime. However, after Sotheby’s research initiated a dialogue between her family and the work's present owners, the parties decided to jointly offer this magnificent painting in our Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale. Watch Sotheby’s Lucian Simmons, Worldwide Head of Restitution and Sarah Whites-Koditschek, Elsa’s great-granddaughter, recount the story of Elsa’s perseverance and the Gothic beauty of City in Twilight. From the bright, jewel-like colors Schiele used to illuminate the city windows to the careful pencil outlines of its buildings, the immaculate condition of City in Twilight allows a modern audience to fully appreciate Schiele’s distinctive technique.