Egon Schiele. The Paintings

After parting ways with Gustav Klimt, his guide and inspiration, Egon Schiele (1890–1918) had but a decade to immortalize his unique vision in modern art history before succumbed to the Spanish flu. Recognized early on as a child prodigy and fiercely aware of his exceptional talent, Schiele approached this task with vibrant audacity. His elongated, contorted figures and intense sexual imagery, along with self-portraits that captured his gaunt expressions teetering between genius and mania, starkly contrasted with Klimt’s ornamental portrayals of love and sensuality. Schiele’s art delivered a raw authenticity that shook Viennese society to its core, leading to its eventual condemnation as “degenerate.” Yet, his influence persisted, shaping the work of artists such as Günter Brus, Francis Bacon, and Tracey Emin. Although once largely forgotten, Schiele's misunderstood masterpieces now achieve substantial sums in the global art markets. This monograph, initially released in an expansive XL format and now offered in a concise version for TASCHEN’s 40th anniversary, showcases the defining artworks from Schiele's last ten prolific years, accompanied by essays that detail his life and artistic contributions, placing him firmly within the framework of European Expressionism and underscoring his remarkable impact.