Egon Schiele Art Prints

The Austrian painter, Egon Schiele marked the early 20th century with tormented, brilliant works that often caused a scandal. He created variations on the themes of death and eroticism in his portraits, self-portraits and nudes, asserting his characteristic, provocative style while expressing a deep malaise and constant inner searching. Egon Schiele was born near Vienna on 12 June 1890 and showed an early talent for drawing. He began painting from the age of 15. His father’s death in 1905 tarnished his view of the world and had an undeniable impact on his work. He left the Vienna Academy of Fine Art in1909: the conservative style of teaching there went against his avant-garde conception of art. His first paintings were inspired by Impressionism but he was very quickly influenced by the Viennese Secession. Schiele met Gustav Klimt, who became his model and master, in 1907. In 1909 he created the Neukunstgruppe (the "New Art Group") with his friends, even though, according to him “art cannot be modern. It is timeless”. His main activity at the time was portrait painting, a particularly lucrative art. The painting of his sister in Portrait of Gerti Schiele in 1909 marked a turning point in his stylistic development: the subject was highlighted against a dark background that was monochrome and without ornament. This style of portrait painting became characteristic of his art.