&Egon Schiele (1890-1918)
See also » Expressionism, Art Nouveau
Austrian Expressionist & Art Nouveau artist Egon Leo Adolf Schiele was at odds with art critics and society for most of his brief life. He was the second important Even more than Gustav Klimt, Schiele made eroticism one of his major themes and was briefly imprisoned for obscenity in 1912. His treatment of the nude figure suggests a lonely, tormented spirit haunted rather than fulfilled by sexuality. At first strongly influenced by Klimt, whom he met in 1907, Schiele soon achieved an independent anticlassical style wherein his jagged lines arose more from psychological and spiritual feeling than from aesthetic considerations. He painted a number of outstanding portraits, such as that of his father-in-law, Johann Harms (1916; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City), and a series of unflinching and disquieting self-portraits. Late works such as The Family (1918; Oesterreichische Galerie, Vienna) reveal a newfound sense of security. By overcoming all of the traditional styles he reached an immediacy of expression that only H. de Toulouse-Lautrec and E. Degas had been able to come to and therefore his works immensly imfluenced the following development of of painting.
- 1890 - Born in Tulln at the Danube (Austria-Hungary).
- 1906-09 - Studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste (Academy of Art in Vienna) after being refused at the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule (a center of Viennese Art Nouveau).
- 1907 - Met & became a close friend of Gustav Klimt.
- 1908 ff - Symbolic Phase, also turned to more expressionistic forms.
- 1909 - Shows many of his works at the "Internationale Kunstschau Wien" (International Art Exhibition Vienna). Left the academy afeter some conflicts and founded the "Neukunstgruppe" (New Art Group) with other artists.
- 1910 - Self-Portrait with a grimace. Following the advice of architect Otto Wagner he started portraying personalities of the Viennese art & culture society and writing expressionist poems.
- 1911 - First single exhibition showing only his works. Accepted to "Sema" (society of artists in Munich, Germany).
- 1912 - Got arrested for 24 days due to being accused of seducing under-age girls.
- 1915 - Military Service.
- 1916 ff -Emphasized the realistic elements to the extreme ugliness and deformation.
- 1917 - Participates in the "Kriegsaustellung 1917" (Art Exhibition) and developed a project called "Kunsthalle" (working group or artists) together with A. Schoenberg, G. Klimt and other artists. Many exhibtions all over Europe.
- 1918 - Successful exhibition in the Vienna Secession (kind of Art Gallery) which earned him cultural and financial break-through. Died in October due to Spanish Influenza in Venna.
For a more detailed biography, please visit the "Related Links" section under "Extras" or the "Further Reading" section below.
&Famous Works
- 1909 Gerti Schiele
- 1910 Eduard Kosmack
- 1910 Scornful Woman
- 1910 Self-Portrait Pulling Cheek
- 1910 Self-Portrait Standing
- 1910 Female Nude
- 1911 Pregnant Woman and Death
- 1911 Autumn Trees
- 1911 Seated Girl
- 1911 Self-Portrait with Outstretched Arms
- 1911 Semi-Nude Girl, Reclining
- 1912 Agony
- 1912 Little Tree (Chesnut Tree at Lake Constance)
- 1913 Fighter
- 1913 The Truth Unveiled
- 1914 Self-Portrait with Raised Right Elbow
- 1914 Standing Male Nude with Red Loincloth
- 1914-15 Self-Portrait as St. Sebastian
- 1915 Seated Couple (Egon and Edith Schiele)
- 1915 Two Women
- 1915-16 Death and the Maiden
- 1917 Embrace (Lovers II)
- 1917 Mother and Two Children
- 1917 Reclining Woman with Green Stockings
- 1918 The Family
- 1918 Portrait of the Artist's Wife, Seated
&Further Reading
- Egon Schiele: Eros and Passion, by Albrecht Schroeder. A psychoanalytical approach to Schiele's work and influence.
- Egon Schiele: The Complete Works: Including a Biography and a Catalogue Raisonne, by Jane Kallir and Wolfgang G. Fischer. The definitive book for the serious Schiele scholar or fan.
- Schiele Drawings: 44 Works. From Dover, budget priced for starving artists.
- Egon Schiele, 1890-1918: Desire and Decay, by Wolfgang Georg Fischer. From Taschen, great reproductions and excellent text for a reasonable price.