Egon Schiele

Einen elementaren Beitrag für Egon Schieles internationale Wertschätzung lieferte der frühe Schiele-Sammler Rudolf Leopold, der in den 1950er-Jahren begann, sich für den Künstler zu interessieren. Seine Kunstschätze sind heute im Leopold Museum Wien beheimatet, das über die weltweit größte und bedeutendste Schiele-Sammlung verfügt. Diethard Leopold, Sohn des Sammlers und Autor dieses Bandes, ist mit den Arbeiten von Schiele ganz selbstverständlich aufgewachsen und entwickelte eine besondere Affinität und Vertrautheit zu dem Künstler und seinem Werk. In dieser Monografie beleuchtet er das Leben des mit nur 28 Jahren früh verstorbenen Malers und stellt anhand wichtiger Werke aus allen Schaffensphasen einen Künstler vor, der den Betrachter gleichermaßen mit emotionalen Bildthemen wie technischer Raffinesse gefangen nimmt. Aus dem reichen Fundus der hinterlassenen Dokumente zeigen besondere Fundstücke im Archiv-Teil des Bandes die umfassende Begabung von Egon Schiele, der nicht nur als Maler und Grafiker brillierte, sondern auch mit seiner expressionistischen Lyrik entdeckt werden will.

Einen elementaren Beitrag für Egon Schieles internationale Wertschätzung lieferte der frühe Schiele-Sammler Rudolf Leopold, der in den 1950er-Jahren begann, sich für den Künstler zu interessieren. Seine Kunstschätze sind heute im Leopold Museum Wien beheimatet, das über die weltweit größte und bedeutendste Schiele-Sammlung verfügt. Diethard Leopold, Sohn des Sammlers und Autor dieses Bandes, ist mit den Arbeiten von Schiele ganz selbstverständlich aufgewachsen und entwickelte eine besondere Affinität und Vertrautheit zu dem Künstler und seinem Werk. In dieser Monografie beleuchtet er das Leben des mit nur 28 Jahren früh verstorbenen Malers und stellt anhand wichtiger Werke aus allen Schaffensphasen einen Künstler vor, der den Betrachter gleichermaßen mit emotionalen Bildthemen wie technischer Raffinesse gefangen nimmt. Aus dem reichen Fundus der hinterlassenen Dokumente zeigen besondere Fundstücke im Archiv-Teil des Bandes die umfassende Begabung von Egon Schiele, der nicht nur als Maler und Grafiker brillierte, sondern auch mit seiner expressionistischen Lyrik entdeckt werden will.

Best known for his depictions of the human form, Schiele was also interested in portraying the beauty and structure of the world he inhabited. In fact, Schiele's paintings of the countryside and his native Vienna comprise a large proportion of his body of work. Nearly one hundred of the artist's landscapes are exquisitely reproduced in this handsome book and presented alongside photographs of the scenes he depicted, taken from the vantage point of the original works. This volume proves that Schiele's mastery extends beyond his radical renditions of the human figure and reveals themes that appear throughout his work. Schiele's landscapes represent an important facet of his career and are a valuable contribution to the school of European nature painting.

Best known for his depictions of the human form, Schiele was also interested in portraying the beauty and structure of the world he inhabited. In fact, Schiele's paintings of the countryside and his native Vienna comprise a large proportion of his body of work. Nearly one hundred of the artist's landscapes are exquisitely reproduced in this handsome book and presented alongside photographs of the scenes he depicted, taken from the vantage point of the original works. This volume proves that Schiele's mastery extends beyond his radical renditions of the human figure and reveals themes that appear throughout his work. Schiele's landscapes represent an important facet of his career and are a valuable contribution to the school of European nature painting.

After Egon Schiele (1890–1918) freed himself from the shadow of his mentor and role model Gustav Klimt , he had just ten years to inscribe his signature style into the annals of modernity before the Spanish flu claimed his life. Being a child prodigy quite aware of his own genius and a passionate provocateur , this didn’t prove to be too big a challenge. His haggard, overstretched figures , extreme depiction of sexuality and self-portraits, in which he staged himself with emaciated facial expressions bordering between brilliance and madness , had none of the decorative quality of Klimt’s hymns of love, sexuality and yearning devotion. Instead, Schiele’s work spoke of a brutal honesty , one that would upset and irreversibly change Viennese society. Although his works were later defamed as “degenerate” and for a time were almost forgotten altogether, they influenced generations of artists —from Günter Brus and Francis Bacon to Tracey Emin . Today, his then misunderstood oeuvre continues to fetch exorbitant prices on the international art market. This monograph features the paintings and drawings that retrace the fertile last decade of Schiele’s life . These works are accompanied by essays introducing his life and oeuvre, situating the Austrian master in the context of European Expressionism and charting his extraordinary legacy.

After Egon Schiele (1890–1918) freed himself from the shadow of his mentor and role model Gustav Klimt , he had just ten years to inscribe his signature style into the annals of modernity before the Spanish flu claimed his life. Being a child prodigy quite aware of his own genius and a passionate provocateur , this didn’t prove to be too big a challenge. His haggard, overstretched figures , extreme depiction of sexuality and self-portraits, in which he staged himself with emaciated facial expressions bordering between brilliance and madness , had none of the decorative quality of Klimt’s hymns of love, sexuality and yearning devotion. Instead, Schiele’s work spoke of a brutal honesty , one that would upset and irreversibly change Viennese society. Although his works were later defamed as “degenerate” and for a time were almost forgotten altogether, they influenced generations of artists —from Günter Brus and Francis Bacon to Tracey Emin . Today, his then misunderstood oeuvre continues to fetch exorbitant prices on the international art market. This monograph features the paintings and drawings that retrace the fertile last decade of Schiele’s life . These works are accompanied by essays introducing his life and oeuvre, situating the Austrian master in the context of European Expressionism and charting his extraordinary legacy.

This book highlights the intimate relationship between landscape and portraiture in the work of the Austrian Expressionist artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918). Plants, natural environments, and townscapes determine the spaces Egon Schiele created in his paintings, and they also reflect the rich symbolism he employed that is centered around the human condition. In particular, plants are often endowed with an allegorical meaning. Flowers and trees assume the role of portrait subjects and convey an almost human appearance. Schiele's landscapes always represent more than their apparent subject matter. His portrayal of nature and his rendering of towns and trees epitomize the life cycle and the human condition. This catalogue, accompanying a spectacular exhibition on view at the Neue Galerie New York, will investigate the importance of landscape in the artist's work. The contributing authors are internationally distinguished experts on Schiele's landscapes and representatives of museums and universities in Europe and the United States.

This book highlights the intimate relationship between landscape and portraiture in the work of the Austrian Expressionist artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918). Plants, natural environments, and townscapes determine the spaces Egon Schiele created in his paintings, and they also reflect the rich symbolism he employed that is centered around the human condition. In particular, plants are often endowed with an allegorical meaning. Flowers and trees assume the role of portrait subjects and convey an almost human appearance. Schiele's landscapes always represent more than their apparent subject matter. His portrayal of nature and his rendering of towns and trees epitomize the life cycle and the human condition. This catalogue, accompanying a spectacular exhibition on view at the Neue Galerie New York, will investigate the importance of landscape in the artist's work. The contributing authors are internationally distinguished experts on Schiele's landscapes and representatives of museums and universities in Europe and the United States.