Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka: Rivals and Networkers

The legendary rivalry between two exceptional artists of Austrian Modernism, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele, a rivalry that sparked artistic masterpieces.

This lavishly illustrated publication looks at the relationship of the two towering figures of Austrian Modernism, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele. They were rivals and masterful networkers, and their race for success and recognition opens up a previously untold chapter of modern art.

Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele were rising stars in early twentieth-century Vienna, and their early work laid the foundations for Austrian Expressionism. Their rivalry is as exceptional as their networks and artworks. When Egon Schiele died in 1918 at just twenty-eight years old, his attempt at reconciliation with Kokoschka having failed, the elder artist still had six decades ahead of him, during which he would be celebrated internationally as a major Austrian figure. But he never escaped Schiele's shadow--quite the contrary. With historical documents and art reproductions, this publication shows in detail the feud that these two artists fought.

Christian Bauer is curator of the Egon Schiele Museum in Tulln and works at the University for Continuing Education Krems.