Self portrait, 1912
Artist

Egon Schiele: voluptuary and provocateur

Self portrait, 1912
Self portrait, 1912

Egon Schiele painted about three hundred paintings in his short 28 years. The number of drawings is in the thousands. Most are extremely provocative: in 1912, the artist’s work was declared pornographic, and he himself was sentenced to prison for immoral behavior and seduction of a minor.

Wally's portrait, 1912
Wally’s portrait, 1912

Nothing strange, given Egon Schiele’s predilection for the female sex and friendship with the no less loving mentor Gustav Klimt. He had a strong influence on the work of a young student. This can be seen especially well in the early works of Schiele, who literally adopted the style, writing technique, principles of compositional construction, and other artistic techniques from the teacher. By the age of 19, he acquired his own style of work, and Klimt became his first customer.

Egon Schiele was in awe of the nude. Drawing her tirelessly, he became obsessed. It was rumored that the young man studied the female body on his own younger sister Gertrude, and she did not mind. With his “funny pictures” Schiele traded well, he got regular customers and patrons. Many of his colleagues turned away from him because of this. Egon himself was sure they were just jealous.

Self-portrait with outstretched arms, 1911
Self-portrait with outstretched arms, 1911

In the workshop of the outrageous artist, begging young maidens often lived, moonlighting as models and not only them. But even such a womanizer had a great love Walburg Neuzil, who for four years was his muse. It is believed that it was during the period of an affair with her that Schiele created his best works, imbued with sensuality and unbridled passion. No wonder, because Valli was as indefatigable in the craft of the model, as Egon was in painting.

Hypothetically, nothing prevented the lovers from getting married, but the artist was embarrassed by the social status of the girl. Having broken with Neuzil, he married a more wealthy and decent neighbor, Edith Harms. He also painted her, but in these paintings and drawings there was not even a quarter of that all-consuming, off-scale passion that the maestro put into Valli’s portraits.

Pregnant woman and death, 1911
Pregnant woman and death, 1911

If the Spanish flu epidemic had not ended Egon Schiele’s life, who knows, his further works would have remained just as attractive …

Dead city, 1911
Dead city, 1911
House on Krumau, 1910
House on Krumau, 1910
Dying mother, 1910
Dying mother, 1910
City on the Blue River, 1910
City on the Blue River, 1910
Girl in a hood, 1910
Girl in a hood, 1910
Egon Schiele Hermits - a portrait of him and Klimt.
Hermits – a portrait of him and Klimt.
Egon Schiele Woman in a black hat, 1909
Woman in a black hat, 1909
Egon Schiele Portrait of Anton Peshka, 1909
Portrait of Anton Peshka, 1909
Egon Schiele Portrait of Gerty Schiele, 1909
Portrait of Gerty Schiele, 1909
House with a bay window in the garden, 1907
House with a bay window in the garden, 1907
Egon Schiele Sailing ships, 1907.
Sailing ships, 1907.
Egon Schiele View from the Cloisenburg workshop, 1905
View from the Cloisenburg workshop, 1905
Egon Schiele Cloisenburg, 1905
Cloisenburg, 1905
Egon Schiele From Klosterneuburg, 1907
From Klosterneuburg, 1907
Egon Schiele Egon Schiele. Melon, 1905. One of Schiele's first works
Egon Schiele. Melon, 1905. One of Schiele’s first works