The day I decided to write my next book
Vienna, summer 2022, the Belvedere Museum, early morning.
My 23-year-old daughter Dana and I stood in line to enter the museum. We ordered tickets online for the opening. We wanted to be among the first visitors that day, before the rooms became crowded.
The gate opened, we validated our tickets and hurried to follow the signs that pointed to one room and one painting, Gustav Klimt’s painting The Kiss.
There was a special feeling standing alone for two or three moments—just the two of us in front of this large painting. We stood there silently, observing this masterpiece and enjoying every brush stroke, before the moment was gone and other visitors arrived. They talked excitedly, pulled out their cell phones, and started taking pictures of themselves and the painting.
Later on we parted at the museum and agreed to meet later. She likes classical art, and I like impressionist paintings.
While walking through the rooms, I suddenly saw one of Egon Schiele’s famous paintings, Death and the Maiden, which was painted in 1915 and showed Death embracing a red-haired woman.
I stood and looked at that painting. Honestly, I didn’t like it. In my opinion it was too dark and depressing. I like his other painting much more. But what caught my attention was the small note beside it. It said that the model for that painting was Wally Neuzil, who had previously also modeled for Gustav Klimt.
At that moment, I knew I wanted to write Wally’s story, the story of one young girl wandering between these two giant artists. I knew dozens of books had been written about Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, but I wanted to tell Wally’s story. To let her be the hero of her life for once.
Later that day, when we got to the hotel and I started reading about her life, I learned that this was the last painting Egon Schiele had painted of her. I also learned that her life was much more fascinating than I had thought. I sat by the small table in the hotel room and started writing the first lines of her story, The Last Portrait of Wally.
Death and the Maiden by Egon Schiele, 1915
