Egon Schiele

Date of Birth: June 12, 1890

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: October 31, 1918

Biography

Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter known for his raw, emotive, and often sexually explicit works that pushed the boundaries of early 20th-century art. Born in Tulln an der Donau, Austria, Schiele showed an early talent for drawing and was accepted into the prestigious Vienna Academy of Fine Arts at the age of 16. He became a protégé of Gustav Klimt and was heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau movement and the Vienna Secession. Schiele’s work is characterized by its intense expressionism, bold lines, and striking use of color. His career was tragically cut short when he died at the age of 28 during the Spanish flu pandemic.

5 Interesting Facts about Egon Schiele

1. Egon Schiele was arrested in 1912 on charges of seducing a young girl and using her as a model for pornographic sketches. Although he was acquitted of the seduction charge, he was found guilty of exhibiting erotic drawings in a place accessible to children and spent 24 days in prison.

2. Schiele’s work was often controversial and considered pornographic by many contemporaries, leading to frequent public outcry and censorship.

3. Despite his short life, Schiele produced over 3,000 drawings and 300 paintings.

4. He married Edith Harms in 1915, who often served as a model for his later works.

5. Schiele’s art is seen as a precursor to the Expressionist movement, influencing many artists who followed.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Egon Schiele

1. “I do not deny that I have made drawings and watercolors of an erotic nature. But they are always works of art. Are they not?”

2. “To restrict the artist is a crime. It is to murder germinating life.”

3. “I believe in the immortality of all creatures.”

4. “Art cannot be modern. Art is primordially eternal.”

5. “The picture must radiate light, the bodies have their own light which they consume to live: they burn, they are not lit from outside.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Egon Schiele did not achieve significant financial success during his lifetime, but his works have since fetched millions at auctions. The highest net worth achieved posthumously is estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.