Egon Schiele, an Austrian Expressionist painter, gained notoriety for his unique and raw artistic style. He was born in 1890 and studied under Gustav Klimt, one of Austria’s most famous artists. Although he drew inspiration from Klimt and other contemporaries such as Kokoschka, Schiele developed a specialized manner characterized by intense and frequently nude self-portraits.
Schiele’s bold artwork also included landscapes and townscapes but focused on exploring various themes such as loneliness, depression, and the fear of death. In 1913, at the age of 23 years old, he had his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Hans Goltz in Munich. The show astounded audiences with its shockingly explicit depictions of eroticism.
However, World War I disrupted Schiele’s life considerably. He enlisted in the Austrian army in 1915 shortly after marrying Edith Harms; nevertheless, he continued painting. Although he would continue to exhibit during his time in military service until his premature death due to influenza complications at age 28 years old only two days after his wife passed away.
Overall Egon Schiele remains a renowned figure in Austria’s art history due to his innovative approach towards creating artwork that tackled taboo subjects while championing narcissism and individualism through self-portraiture across all artistic mediums like watercolor gouaches prints drawings oil paintings done both with brush or pencil etcetera.
