Exploring Egon Schiele’s Raw Art and the Influence of His Life
Egon Schiele’s art is raw, emotional, and unflinching. His ability to capture human vulnerability and the complexities of life, love, and death is truly remarkable. In this post, I’ll explore Schiele’s evolution as an artist, focusing on his influences, his life experiences, and how his style still resonates with me today.
Schiele’s Tragic Backstory: His Father’s Death and Early Struggles
Egon Schiele was born in 1890 in Tulln, Austria. His life was marked by tragedy, particularly the loss of his father, Adolf Schiele, at the age of just 14. His father’s death from syphilis greatly impacted Schiele’s emotional state and themes in his art. The trauma of this loss, coupled with his troubled relationship with his mother, played a role in shaping the psychological intensity present in his work. Schiele's exploration of mortality and human desire became central themes in his paintings, which was likely his way of confronting the emotional void left by his father’s death.
As Schiele once said in a letter: "I don’t know whether there is anyone else at all who remembers my noble father with such sadness... Why do I paint graves and many similar things? Because this continues to live in me."
Schiele’s Apprenticeship with Gustav Klimt
Schiele’s artistic journey took a pivotal turn when he became an apprentice to Gustav Klimt at the age of 16. Klimt’s influence on Schiele is undeniable, especially in his early works, which show elements of Klimt's decorative style. However, Schiele quickly distanced himself from Klimt’s more ornate, idealized depictions of the human form and developed a more raw, angular approach to portraying the human body. Schiele’s figures became increasingly expressive and distorted, often revealing emotional and psychological depth that was not present in Klimt’s more polished, sensual representations.
Despite their differences, Klimt remained a critical figure in Schiele’s life. Klimt was not only a mentor but also a friend who introduced Schiele to influential artists and models, including Wally Neuzil, who became Schiele's lover and muse.
Schiele’s Love Triangle and the Influence of Wally Neuzil
Schiele’s personal life was equally intense as his art. His affair with Wally Neuzil, Klimt’s model and former lover, was central to his emotional and artistic development. Wally Neuzil became Schiele's muse and is featured in many of his works. The intensity of their relationship is reflected in his paintings, which often depict Wally in vulnerable, sometimes grotesque poses, highlighting both the sensual and dark sides of human relationships.
One of Schiele’s most iconic works, The Hermits (1912), visually captures the love triangle between Schiele, Wally, and Klimt. Schiele’s work, filled with distorted figures and raw emotion, perfectly reflects the tumultuous nature of these relationships.
Schiele’s Evolving Style: From Klimt to Raw Expressionism
In Schiele’s early works, Klimt’s influence can be seen in his decorative approach and use of ornamentation. However, Schiele soon broke away from Klimt's highly stylized work, embracing a more expressive, raw style. His nudes became exaggerated and angular, often capturing moments of intense psychological vulnerability. Schiele’s use of line and bold brushstrokes became his signature, emphasizing the emotional turmoil within his figures.
Schiele’s shift towards raw emotional expression and psychological depth set him apart from Klimt’s polished beauty. This change in direction resonates with me personally, as Schiele's ability to expose human emotion through discomfort and tension is something I aspire to incorporate in my own art.
Schiele’s Legacy and Influence on Contemporary Artists
Schiele’s influence is still felt today, particularly among artists who embrace the raw, vulnerable aspects of the human body. Artists like Agnes Cecil, who works with portraiture and figurative art, have been deeply influenced by Schiele’s approach to emotional depth and graphic line work. I absolutely admire Cecil’s work—her ability to capture the grotesque and embrace the rawness of the human form reminds me of Schiele’s impact on my own artistic journey. I’m also drawn to her use of pencil marks as a fine art medium, something I’ve come to appreciate in my own practice as well.
Key Learnings from My Schiele Studies (and what I’m taking with me;))
While diving into Schiele’s techniques, a few key lessons stood out:
Tinting the Background: Schiele’s use of tinted backgrounds clearly sets the mood for the entire piece. By using transparent areas, such as leaving the skin untouched or areas like the collar around the wrist, Schiele enhances emotional focus.
Angularity and Exaggeration: Schiele’s distorted, angular figures create a balance between the grotesque and beautiful, emphasizing the psychological intensity of his subjects. This exaggeration allows raw emotion to take center stage, revealing deeper truths.
Pencil Work and Line Thickness: Schiele’s linework plays a pivotal role. Varying the thickness of lines and incorporating sketchy and unfinished strokes gives a sense of rawness and immediacy to his figures.
Using Black in Unique Ways: Whether scribbling with graphite or using charcoal for dark, rough textures, Schiele creates a tension in his work that enhances its emotional power.
Drawing Attention to Key Areas: Using cadmium red to highlight areas like the knuckles in a portrait draws the viewer’s attention and adds a striking focus to otherwise subdued tones.
Embracing Rawness in Art
Ultimately, Schiele’s work taught me that it’s okay to embrace the rawness in my own art. His ability to capture human vulnerability—to go beyond surface beauty and reveal the complex emotions underneath—is something I find incredibly inspiring. What really stood out to me in his work was the way he used pencils and linework to convey depth and emotion. I’ve been experimenting with this in my own pieces, and seeing Schiele’s approach made me realize just how powerful simple pencil lines can be in bringing out the emotional core of a figure.
Schiele’s art is a reminder that true art comes from a place of honest expression, even if it’s uncomfortable. It’s that discomfort that gives his work its power, and I hope to continue embracing that authenticity in my own work.
swatch from creating study of Egon Schiele
Discover More: The Book I Loved
If you’re looking to dive deeper into Schiele’s work, I highly recommend the book Egon Schiele: Drawings & Watercolours. This book takes you on a journey through Schiele’s artistic evolution, chronicling his works in order and explaining the lessons he learned and the techniques he experimented with at each stage. I fell in love with this book because it not only showcases his art but also provides incredible insights into his growth as an artist. It was a great resource for understanding the emotional intensity of his work. In a way I’m glad the nearby libraries did not have any books about him or else I wouldn’t have searched for this book!
You can find it Here (Purchasing through this link helps support my work!)
Check out the full video Here
