Egon Schiele (1890-1918)

Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century.

Egon Schiele’s work is noted for its intensity, and the many self-portraits the artist produced. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele’s paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism, although still strongly associated with the art nouveau movement (Jugendstil).

Schiele developed a taut, linear style, emphasizing attenuated anatomical structure in drawings and paintings that often have strong sexual subject matter. Best known for his gaunt self-portraits and erotic figure studies, he also painted haunting portraits of his contemporaries and dark, brooding landscapes.

The most important collection of Schiele’s work is housed in the Leopold Museum, Vienna.