Egon Schiele
When I saw this painting for the first time I was shocked by how modern this person looks ... like a Wall Street yuppie from 1980s! But maybe I shouldn't be shocked because it was painted by Egon Schiele. His works are noted for their intensity, twisted body shapes, and the expressive line. Today we celebrate the anniversary of his birth in 1890, but we need to start today's story from his death.
At just 28, Schiele’s untimely death during the 1918 influenza pandemic left this portrait of his friend Albert Paris von Gütersloh (1887–1973) unfinished. Yet even in its incomplete state, the painting is a powerful example of Austrian Expressionist portraiture. Gütersloh—an accomplished painter, writer, actor, producer, and stage designer—had penned the first critical study of Schiele’s work in 1911. Deeply admiring his friend’s remarkable intellect and artistic range, Schiele sought to depict him as a visionary creative force. With raised hands in a pose that suggests both attraction and resistance, a transfixed gaze, and a body charged with tension, Gütersloh is captured in the throes of artistic inspiration.
Amazing portrait!
P.S. Schiele's art is full of bodies shown in twisted, unnatural poses that express the inner human tension. See how Schiele's art manifested sexuality.
P.P.S. Check out other artworks by Schiele featured in our Vienna Secession Undated Planner. :)