EGON SCHIELE

Egon Schiele is an Austrian painter born in Tulln an der Donau, Austria in 1890. This protégé of Gustav Klimt is one of the leading figures of Austrian Expressionism from the early 20th century. He studied art in Sigmund Freud’s Vienna, and famous was for his immensely erotic body of work. His understanding of figure and his ability to distort is most notable in his self portraits, and erotic nude drawings.

Autorretrato con los dedos extendidos — Self-Portrait with Black Vase and Spread Fingers — Egon Schiele

When Schiele was 18 he founded the Neuekunstgruppe (New Art Group) that was comprised of young, dissatisfied artists that left the academy in Vienna. During this time he began distancing himself from his mentor Gustav Klimt’s style, and leaned more towards a muted palette with distortions in his figures, and other experimental techniques. Though he began working on his solo career Gustav and Egon remained close and even co-founded an Art Hall in 1917 in Vienna in order to encourage Austrian artists to remain at home. This happened the year before Gustav Klimt died.

“I do not deny that I have made drawings and watercolors of an erotic nature. But they are always works of art. Are there no artists who have done erotic pictures?” -Egon Schiele

Though Egon Schiele lived a relatively short life his impact in the art world was immense. His aesthetic influenced groups of Expressionist and Neo-expressionist artists. He was even to thought to have been “a feminist artist ahead of his time” according to Jonathan Jones from the guardian. His appreciation of women was definitely a shared attribute between him and mentor Gustav Klimt, but Schiele didn’t censor his pieces like most artist did in this time. In his pieces he exposed his models entirely, and definitely making his women the center of his artwork.

Schiele died of influenza at the young age of 28 just three days after his pregnant wife, Edith Harms. Even though his death was early he created close to 3000 works before passing.

SITES

Egon Schiele – Completed Works

Sitting Female Nude --Egon Schiele — Sitting Female Nude –Egon Schiele

Nude Self-Portrait -- Egon Schiele — Nude Self-Portrait — Egon Schiele

SOURCES

Chu, Christie. “8 Things That Will Change the Way You Think About Egon Schiele.” Art Net News. Artnet Worldwide Corporation, 12 June 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <https://news.artnet.com/people/7-things-to-know-egon-schiele-305958>.

“Egon Schiele Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works.” The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-schiele-egon.htm>.

Jones, Jonathan. “Egon Schiele: The Radical Nude Review – a Feminist Artist Ahead of His Time.” The Guardian. N.p., 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/21/egon-schiele-the-radical-nude-review>.

Schiele, Egon. Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant. 1912. Leopold Museum, Vienna.