SchieleTaschen Basic Art Series

Radical and all-revealing figures

With his graphic style, figural distortion, and defiance of conventional standards of beauty, Egon Schiele (1890-1918) was a pioneer of Austrian Expressionism and one of the most striking portraitists of the 20th century, characterized by his graphic style, distortion of figures, and disregard for conventional standards of beauty.

While under the tutelage of Gustav Klimt, Schiele tried his hand at the brilliant Art Nouveau style and then developed his own more rigid and confrontational aesthetic of sharp lines, bright hues, and mannered, elongated figures. His numerous portraits and self-portraits impressed the Viennese establishment with their unprecedented psychological intensity: he favored disturbing poses in which he or his sitters rolled on the floor, languished with legs spread, and looked back at the viewer. His models are sometimes skeletal and morbid, and sometimes strong and sensual.

Many contemporaries considered Schiele's work not only ugly but also morally unacceptable; in 1912, the artist was briefly imprisoned for obscenity. Today his work is celebrated for its revolutionary approach to the human figure, its direct and particularly fervent, almost frenetic drawing. This book presents Schiele's major works, recounting his short but illustrious career and profound contribution to the development of modern art, which can be traced back to such contemporary talents as Tracey Emin and Jenny Savile.

The author

Reinhard Steiner (born 1950) is Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Stuttgart. His particular areas of interest and expertise include late medieval and Renaissance art as well as the art of the 19th and 20th centuries.