He was born on February 6 (short before midnight) in The Hague, Netherlands, Javastraat 28, in the house of his maternal grandmother. With his parents, he lived in Paris, France, 14 rue Cernuschi, in the 17th Arrondissement (near the subway station Malesherbes which was opened not until 1911). Officially they were subjects of the Russian tsar.

His brother Alexis was born in The Hague.

Visit of his grandfather Baron Arnold Julius v.Vietinghoff to Salisburg Manor situated on the Salis river in Livonia, the house of his paternal grandparents, a place presently known as Mazsalaca on the river Salaca in Latvia (near the Estonian border and the Baltic Sea).

Egon grown up bilingual;
with his father he spoke German, with his mother French.

First feelings of love upon meeting the daughter of his mother's friends,
Marguerite de Crayencour (later writer Marguerite Yourcenar 1903-1987), playing on the beach of Scheveningen, Netherlands. Egon's parents inspired her to some extent in several of her books.

Second visit to his grandparents in Livonia.

Probably second visit of Marguerite de Crayencour (Yourcenar) and her father at Scheveningen.

They moved to Villa Violetta with a large garden in Wiesbaden, Germany, Gartenstrasse 2-4 (today named Steubenstrasse) next to the spa parks.

Governesses, private teachers, piano and violin lessons, which he found hard.

Travels to Austria, Italy, Paris and several times to Switzerland.

Moved to Geneva, Switzerland due to the town's international flair, the Swiss neutrality in the European conflicts and the proximity of the mountains to improve Egon's health suffering a tubercular infection.

During the summers they vacationed in Chambésy (today a suburb of Geneva) on Lake Geneva.

Learned some Malay language to speak in a "secret language" with his brother.

Throat surgery.

Family moved to Zurich, Switzerland.

Visit to first public school, the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, a boarding school in the Canton of Graubuenden, Switzerland.

His parents bought a self-contained house at Böcklinstrasse 18, Zurich.

Admission to the high school
Freies Gymnasium in Zurich.

Egon started to paint.

Sold his first two pictures to a teacher who recognized Egon's talent.

Left the Gymnasium voluntarily in order to become an artist.

Studied in a sculptor's studio in Zurich for some weeks.

Yet decided for painting.

Together with a friend, departure for a 9 month trip on foot through Spain and Morocco with paper and pencil. Dressed as a Bedouin because of the Rif War otherwise it would be too dangerous for a European.

Spent 9 days in prison in Cadiz, Spain when arriving from Morocco as a white man during the Rif war, being suspected of spying. Showed three paintings in a collective exhibition in the Kunsthaus, the Museum Of Fine Arts in Zurich.

All four family members obtained Swiss nationality with citizenship of Zurich.
Went to Munich, Germany for drawing lessons at the Hoffmann Academy and simultaneous beginning of his self-taught studies of the Old Masters at the Alte Pinakothek.

Egon spent several months on
Capri Island, Italy, painting in nature.

Arrived in Paris; bought and remodeled a studio at rue Gager Gabillot 1bis (15th arrondissement), located near to Montparnasse, the community of avant-garde painters and writers who met in all the famous cafés. Brief interest in cubism (none of these paintings remain), then intensive studies in the museums, mainly in the Musée du Louvre, and systematic experiments in painting technique in his own studio.

Intensively drawing nudes after models. Moved in the circles of the avant-garde and discussed art mainly in the coffeehouse Le Dôme with painters and sculptors such as Braque, Picasso, Delaunay, Gris, Utrillo, Chagall, Derain, Ray, Ernst, Pascin, van Dongen, Masereel, Kisling, de Pisis, de Chirico, Campigli, Foujita, Calder, Brancusi, Varlin, Le Corbusier, and the Giacometti brothers.

Several journeys to Saint-Tropez, Monte Carlo and to Roquebrune (Alpes Maritimes) where his parents owned a summer house (Villa Mélisande).

His beloved mother passed away, only 50 years old.

The house on Böcklinstrasse 18 in Zurich was sold.

Some of his paintings were displayed in collective exhibitions, five times in the Salon d'Automne together with those of future well-renowned painters.

Success in portrait painting.

Several trips to Italy.

He married his first wife, the Italian Marcella Chiaraviglio, in Rome.

She was from an influential Roman family of liberal bourgeoisie and a grandchild of the important politician
Giovanni Giolitti
(The Giolittian Era).