The artwork titled “Prophets (Double Self Portrait)” was created by the Austrian Expressionist artist Egon Schiele in 1911. This piece is a self-portrait that exemplifies the Expressionist movement’s embrace of subjective emotion and the distortion of form to express psychological states. It is rendered in oil on canvas, a medium that allows for the intense colors and dynamic brushwork apparent in the piece.
“Prophets (Double Self Portrait)” exhibits two faces overlapping at an angle, with one appearing almost spectral beside the other’s more corporeal presence. The dominant face is intensely colored, with thick, swirling lines of paint that highlight the features and give an almost decaying appearance. The texture is rich and uneven, drawing attention to the surface of the canvas as much as to the subject of the portrait. The space around the figures is dark and muted, pushing the vibrancy of the flesh tones to the forefront and adding a sense of depth and tension to the composition. The piece commands attention through its raw and emotional presentation.
