Schiele (The Hermann Genius Pocket Guide)

Encounter the raw intensity of Egon Schiele (1890–1918), the Austrian Expressionist whose angular figures, exposed bodies, and searching self-portraits challenged conventional ideas of beauty and representation. This pocket guide explores his brief, turbulent career and reveals what to look for in his nervous line, distorted poses, empty spaces, heightened color, and uncompromising psychological directness. Discover how Schiele transformed portraiture and the human figure into vehicles for exploring identity, sexuality, isolation, vulnerability, and mortality. Biographical insights, revealing anecdotes, a personal portrait, and memorable quotations provide context for both the controversy and originality of his work. A close examination of one defining masterpiece considers the emotional force created by his distinctive drawing and composition. Featuring more than 65 full-color reproductions, this compact volume offers a compelling introduction to one of the most daring and influential artists of early twentieth-century Vienna.

Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter and draftsman whose uncompromising images of the human body became landmarks of Expressionism. His angular line, distorted poses, and psychologically intense portraits and self-portraits challenged conventional ideals of beauty and propriety. Despite a brief career, his distinctive exploration of sexuality, vulnerability, identity, and mortality exerted a lasting influence on modern figurative art.