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Basic data
Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter and draughtsman who became known for his expressive, often provocative depictions of figures and nudes. He is considered one of the most important representatives of Viennese Expressionism.
- Name: Egon Schiele
- Date of birth: June 12, 1890
- Place of birth: Tulln, Austria
- Date of death: October 31, 1918
- Place of death: Vienna, Austria
- Nationality: Austrian
- Artistic style: Expressionism
- Known works: “Death and Girl”, “Self-Portrait with Lampion Fruits”, “Seated Nude”
- Techniques: Painting, Drawing
- Influences: Gustav Klimt, Vincent van Gogh, Vienna Secession
- Exhibitions: Numerous exhibitions at the Albertina, the Leopold Museum and international exhibition venues
- Special features: Famous for his radical, expressive nudes
Egon Schiele left behind an intense oeuvre that explored the expressive power of the human body and the human soul.
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Biography
Childhood & youth
Egon Schiele was born on June 12, 1890 in Tulln an der Donau, Austria. His father Adolf Schiele, a railroad official, died early, when Egon was only 14 years old. This loss shaped Schiele's youth and also his later artistic expression, which was often permeated by themes such as transience, death and existential questions. Schiele's extraordinary artistic talent was already evident at a young age. Despite opposition from his family, he succeeded in being accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1906 at the age of 16.
In Vienna, Schiele came into contact with the flourishing art scene at the turn of the century, which was influenced by the Vienna Secession and artists such as Gustav Klimt. The artistic rebellion against academicism, the belief in individual freedom and the exploration of the human body fascinated the young Schiele and influenced his early creative phase.
Rise and encounter with Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt became a central figure in Schiele's life and work. The two artists met in 1907, when Klimt noticed the young Schiele's emerging talent. Klimt became an important patron, providing him with contacts and helping him to organize his first exhibitions. Schiele's early works still show clear Art Nouveau influences, but he soon begins to distance himself from Klimt and the decorative style of the Secession.
From 1909 onwards, Schiele developed his own unmistakable style, characterized by an expressive, often highly distorted formal language. In his drawings and paintings, he focused on the human body, depicted in provocative, often unconventional poses. Schiele's focus on sexuality, the fragmented and the abysmal shook not only conservative Viennese society, but also his artistic contemporaries.
The breakthrough: Expressionism and erotic provocation
Schiele quickly became one of the main representatives of Expressionism. It was during this period that he created his most famous works, in which he intensively explored the human body, nudity and sexuality. His drawings, which often show sharp-edged lines and drastic poses, appear raw and undisguised. Works such as Self-Portrait with Spread Fingers (1911) and Seated Girl (1914) thematize Schiele's fascination with the body as a means of expressing inner emotions, conflicts and passions.
At the same time, his openly erotic depictions caused scandals. In 1912, Schiele was arrested for depicting underage models in his works and had to spend a short time in prison. This experience left deep marks on his art and intensified his exploration of themes such as isolation, guilt and transience.
The time in Neulengbach and personal crises
After his release, Schiele moves to Neulengbach, where he runs a studio and tries to lead a quieter life. However, his reputation remained shrouded in scandal and his art continued to cause a stir. Despite social rejection, he managed to build up a small but significant network of patrons and collectors. During this time, his partner Wally Neuzil became an important muse. Many of his portraits and nude drawings from this period show Wally, often in intimate and vulnerable poses.
Schiele's personal crisis and increasing isolation had a strong influence on his works. Human existence, death and the fragility of life became central themes in his works. His work Death and the Maiden (1915), which deals with his separation from Wally and his marriage to Edith Harms, symbolizes the loss and despair he felt during this phase of his life.
The First World War and artistic maturity
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 was a major turning point for Schiele and many artists of his time. He was called up for military service, but due to his artistic abilities he was mostly deployed in office work and was able to continue painting and drawing. He continued to develop his style, turning away from the extreme distortions of his early work and creating increasingly balanced, calmer compositions.
Despite the hardships of the war years, the painter found increasing recognition. In 1918, just a few months before his death, he had a major solo exhibition at the Vienna Secession, which brought him great success and increasing international recognition. At this time, his work had already developed into one of the most important means of expression of the Expressionist era.
The early death and the legacy
In 1918, the peak of his career came to an abrupt end: on October 31, 1918, Egon Schiele died at the young age of just 28 from the Spanish flu, which had also claimed the life of his pregnant wife Edith a few days earlier. His sudden death prevented his work from reaching the full maturity and scope that it might have achieved.
Schiele left behind an astonishingly extensive oeuvre for his short lifetime. His uncompromising exploration of the human body and its emotions, his expressive lines and his often painful honesty have left a lasting mark on modern art. His works are regarded as the epitome of expressionist rebellion against the bourgeois morals and academic conventions of his time.
To this day, Egon Schiele is celebrated as one of the most important artists of Austrian modernism. His drawings and paintings are exhibited in the world's most renowned museums and fetch high prices on the art market. Schiele's radical pictorial language and his unsparing exploration of the human soul make him one of the most important pioneers of modern artistic expression.
Exhibitions
- 22.02.2023 – 04.06.2023 Egon Schiele: Self-Portraits – Albertina, Vienna.
- 27.10.2018 – 17.02.2019 Egon Schiele: The Radical Nude – The Courtauld Gallery, London.
- 19.10.2018 – 17.06.2019 Klimt/Schiele: Drawings from the Albertina Museum, Vienna – The Royal Academy of Arts, London.
- 03.03.2017 – 18.06.2017 Egon Schiele: Expression and Lyricism – Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris.
- 09.02.2005 – 22.05.2005 Egon Schiele and His Contemporaries – Leopold Museum, Vienna.
Awards
- 1909 Award from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna for outstanding achievements as a student
- 1918 Recognition by the Vienna Secession, participation in the “49th Secession Exhibition”
Films
- Egon Schiele: Tod und Mädchen, film, Dieter Berner, 110 min, Austria, 2016.
- Egon Schiele: Dangerous Desires, documentary, 60 min, USA, 2006.
- Egon Schiele: Excess and Punishment, documentary, 52 min, France, 2014.
Literature
- Egon Schiele: The Complete Works, Jane Kallir, New York, 1990.
- Egon Schiele: Self-Portraits and Portraits, Alessandra Comini, Munich, 2011.
- Egon Schiele: The Radical Nude, Simon Wilson & Jane Kallir, Prestel, 2018.
- Egon Schiele: Nearly a Lifetime, Christian Bauer, Vienna, 2006.
Exhibitions
Austria
- Vienna - Leopold Museum
- Vienna - Albertina
- Vienna - Belvedere
USA
- New York - The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Boston - Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
France
- Paris - Musée d’Orsay
Switzerland
- Zürich - Kunsthaus Zürich
Weblinks
- Egon Schiele Collection at Leopold Museum in Vienna
- Egon Schiele at the museum Albertina in Vienna
