Egon Schiele
1890-1918 · Austrian (Tulln/Vienna) · Expressionism
Known for: Provocative painter of anguished, sexually explicit self-portraits and figure studies
Schiele was Klimt's protege who developed a far more angular, anxious, sexually confrontational style. He was briefly imprisoned for displaying erotic drawings accessible to minors. His contorted figures and raw self-portraits remain among Expressionism's most powerful images.
He died at 28 during the Spanish flu, three days after his pregnant wife. His influence on Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, and Basquiat confirms his significance despite his brief career.
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