Contents
Egon Schiele
Creating intense Expressionist portraits and figure drawings with angular lines and exposed emotion.
Portrait of Wally · Death and the Maiden
- Born
- 12 June 1890
- Birthplace
- Tulln, Austria
- Died
- 31 October 1918
More people
Egon Schiele
Austrian artist whose brief career produced an unmistakable approach to the human body. He also painted towns and landscapes.
Early life
Railway family
His father worked for the railway in Tulln.
Vienna training
Entered the Academy of Fine Arts before breaking with its conventional approach.
Career
- 1906–1909
Artistic training
Studied in Vienna and began developing an independent style.
- 1910–1914
A distinctive voice
Produced searching portraits and drawings while building a reputation.
- 1915–1918
War and recognition
Continued working during military service and gained major exhibition recognition before his death.
Selected work
Portrait of Wally
A portrait of his companion Wally Neuzil.
Death and the Maiden
An embrace staged as an image of separation and mortality.
Seated Woman with Bent Knee
An expressive figure built from angular pose and intense colour.
Beyond work
Prosecution
Was imprisoned briefly in 1912; a conviction concerned displaying drawings accessible to children, while more serious allegations were dismissed.
Pandemic deaths
His wife Edith and then Schiele died during the influenza pandemic in 1918.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: Egon Schiele — self-portrait. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
