Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele (1890–1918) was an Austrian painter and draftsman and one of the most distinctive figures of early 20th-century Expressionism. Born in Tulln an der Donau, Austria, Schiele moved to Vienna as a teenager to study at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. Dissatisfied with its conservative teaching, he left after three years and, together with a group of like-minded artists, founded the Neukunstgruppe (New Art Group) in 1909.

Schiele’s early development was strongly influenced by the work of Gustav Klimt, who became an important mentor and supporter. Under Klimt’s encouragement, Schiele began exhibiting widely and quickly developed a highly personal style characterised by expressive line, distorted figures and psychologically charged compositions.

Working primarily in drawing, watercolour and oil painting, Schiele is best known for his intense portraits, self-portraits and figurative studies, many of which explore themes of identity, vulnerability and the human body. Alongside these works he also produced landscapes and townscapes, particularly of the town of Krumau (now Český Krumlov), where he spent periods working in the early 1910s.

Although controversial during his lifetime for the frankness of his figurative works, Schiele gained increasing recognition in Vienna before his career was cut short. In 1918 he died in Vienna at the age of 28 during the influenza pandemic, just three days after the death of his wife, Edith.

Despite his brief career, Schiele is now regarded as one of the most important artists of Austrian Expressionism, and his works are held in major museum collections including the Leopold Museum in Vienna, the Belvedere Museum and the Albertina.