An Austrian
expressionist painter, born near Vienna. Although Schiele was
strongly influenced by the Art Nouveau arabesques of Gustav Klimt,
his own works were characterized by more angular, nervous lines.
The human figure was his main subject, and his female and male
nudes have a frankly erotic quality in spite of their lonely,
emaciated forms. He often emphasized his subjects' hands in twisted,
agonized configurations. The personal quality of his choppy brushstrokes
and splotches of sharp color made him unique among expressionist
painters, but his early death from influenza limited his influence. |
| "Schiele
adopted an erotic theme for many of his paintings and as a result
served a short period in jail."
However,
that doesn't tell you all the story. It doesn't tell you about
the complex person placed in a time that was emerging from Victorian
prudishness to new artistic ideas. It doesn't tell you about
the influences of his father (who committed suicide), of his
fellow artists who were rejected by the classical college, or
of his personal situations. To get that background you need
to read some complementary books: They all contain excellent
illustrations. They are:
Egon Schiele
by Jeanette Zwingenberger, Parkstone Press, 2000, and
Egon Schiele,
Eros & passion, by Klaus A;lbrecht Schroeder, Prestel
Press, 1995
Egon Schiele,
by Frank Whitford, Thames and Hudson, 1981
|
| Schiele drew
more sketches than he painted, and his paintings, to some extent
appear to be color-highlighted drawings. They are outlined and
filled with color and texture. Enjoy the amazing ease in which
he sketched his models and enjoy the feeling of senuality for
the body that he shows. |
|
In
looking at Schiele's paintings -- look first at the young trees
on the banks of a lake in the autumn (see below). They are not the
usual fully clad mature trees that attract most artists -- neither
are the women that Shciele painted. They too were mostly young and
stripped to the essentials.
Click
on all the paintings to see full sized images.
|
