Egon SCHIELE (1890-1918)
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
Chronology : 1909 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916
Chronology : 1909 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916
The Viennese Jugendstil deserves its name: Gustav Klimt endeavors to reveal and protect young skilled artists. Egon Schiele is passionate about drawing since childhood and begins to paint on canvas. During the summer of 1909 he exhibits four paintings at the International Kunstschau promoting Klimt's Secessionist movement. Aged 19, he is still a student.
The advances by Klimt in the artistic language are revolutionary and effective. Schiele is inspired by them but early seeks to express his own personality. A self-portrait 74 x 30 cm painted by Egon in late 1909 was sold by Christie's for £ 7.2M on February 2016, lot 31.
Working a portrait in a narrow vertical format is one of Klimt's innovations. Egon reuses this idea while limiting the figuration to the head in the top right and the hands at the lower end of the image, over a dark background.
The young artist is ambitious. The insertion of the head into a gold frame on two and a half sides is an adaptation from the gilded left and right edges of Klimt's Judith. The left edge of Egon's image is decorated with small variously colored rectangles that mark his temporary allegiance to the Wiener Werkstätte.
Schiele's personality is complex. He wants to be recognized and his lively gazes undertakes communication, but his face is heavily rouged. The fingers which are the tool of his growing fame are wide open in a hermetic symbolism that can be a proposal, an explanation or a mime.
The advances by Klimt in the artistic language are revolutionary and effective. Schiele is inspired by them but early seeks to express his own personality. A self-portrait 74 x 30 cm painted by Egon in late 1909 was sold by Christie's for £ 7.2M on February 2016, lot 31.
Working a portrait in a narrow vertical format is one of Klimt's innovations. Egon reuses this idea while limiting the figuration to the head in the top right and the hands at the lower end of the image, over a dark background.
The young artist is ambitious. The insertion of the head into a gold frame on two and a half sides is an adaptation from the gilded left and right edges of Klimt's Judith. The left edge of Egon's image is decorated with small variously colored rectangles that mark his temporary allegiance to the Wiener Werkstätte.
Schiele's personality is complex. He wants to be recognized and his lively gazes undertakes communication, but his face is heavily rouged. The fingers which are the tool of his growing fame are wide open in a hermetic symbolism that can be a proposal, an explanation or a mime.
Egon Schiele’s style is one of the most distinctive and immediately recognizable in 20th-century art. As a leading figure in Austrian Expressionism, he developed a raw, psychologically intense approach characterized by twisted body shapes, expressive (often jagged) lines, figural distortion, and unflinching explorations of sexuality, vulnerability, anxiety, and the human condition.
Evolution of His Style
Schiele’s art probes identity, mortality, sexuality, and modern alienation. Self-portraits are merciless—gaunt, scarred, confrontational—reflecting adolescent angst evolving into universal human drama. His work feels intimate and unsettling, as if intruding on private vulnerability.
Comparison to Klimt (Contextual Tie-In)
Where Klimt’s Golden Phase dissolves figures into luxurious, symbolic ornament and gold for transcendence and sensual harmony, Schiele strips away decoration. He isolates the body with harsh lines and distortion to reveal inner torment and raw physicality. Klimt idealizes and decorates; Schiele exposes and distorts. Both share eroticism and elongated forms, but Schiele’s Expressionism is more anxious and direct.
Schiele’s brief career produced an intensely personal yet universally resonant body of work. His graphic intensity, emotional honesty, and rejection of conventional beauty profoundly influenced later Expressionism, figurative art, and modern portraiture. The raw power of his line and form continues to captivate for its psychological depth and technical mastery.
Egon Schiele’s masterful use of negative space is a cornerstone of his Expressionist style. It isolates figures, heightens psychological tension, and transforms emptiness into an active emotional force. Unlike traditional compositions where negative space (the areas around and between subjects) merely supports the positive forms, Schiele weaponizes it to evoke isolation, vulnerability, existential angst, and raw intimacy.
Isolation and the Void
Schiele frequently places contorted, emaciated figures against stark, blank backgrounds—often the untouched color or white of the paper/canvas. This creates a sense of the figure “floating” or suspended in an undefined void, untethered from any environment or context.
The emptiness strips away distractions, forcing the viewer to confront the body’s distortions, gestures, and exposed psyche directly. It mirrors fin-de-siècle themes of alienation in Freudian Vienna: individuals as solitary, introspective beings adrift in modern existence.
In self-portraits, the vast empty expanse around the intense gaze and angular form amplifies confrontation and inner turmoil—the figure seems psychologically exposed, with nothing to hide behind.
Contour, Line, and the Paper as Active Element
Schiele’s contour-focused drawing (influenced by Rodin’s continuous line technique) relies on negative space to define volume. He often leaves large areas of bare paper, using the support itself as a light-reflecting, form-creating element. Sparse lines project into the body or surrounding void, suggesting rather than fully rendering form.
This economy makes negative space feel charged and dynamic. The tension between the jagged, angular positive shapes (bony limbs, twisted torsos) and the surrounding emptiness creates visual and emotional “pull”—the viewer’s eye is drawn into the voids, heightening unease or erotic charge.
In Nudes and Erotic Works
Negative space underscores vulnerability and exposure in Schiele’s frank nudes. Figures in awkward, stretched, or contorted poses appear even more exposed against blank grounds, as if performing private acts under clinical scrutiny.
The surrounding emptiness intensifies the raw physicality and psychological intimacy, blending eroticism with discomfort.
Evolution and Context (Including Danaë)I
n his early Klimt-influenced phase (e.g., Danaë, 1909), Schiele still incorporates more decorative or landscape elements, so negative space is less dominant but begins to assert itself through flattened areas and isolation of the figure.
By 1910 onward, the blank void becomes signature. In group or couple scenes (e.g., The Embrace), negative space around intertwined bodies can paradoxically emphasize emotional distance or the fragility of connection amid surrounding emptiness.
Symbolic and Expressive Power
Evolution of His Style
- Early Period (1906–1909): Academic training at the Vienna Academy gave him strong foundational skills in anatomy and perspective. Deeply influenced by Gustav Klimt (his mentor from ~1907), his work featured elongated forms, decorative elements, metallic paints, and Secessionist/Jugendstil ornamentation. Works like Danaë (1909) show this transitional phase—flatter bodies, golden shimmer, but with emerging angularity.
- Breakthrough/Mature Period (1910 onward): After leaving the Academy in rebellion and forming the Neukunstgruppe, Schiele forged his signature Expressionist idiom. He embraced distortion, harsh contours, somber or acidic color, and raw emotional directness. Self-portraits and nudes became dominant, often grotesque or confrontational. By the mid-1910s, his line smoothed somewhat and realism increased, though intensity remained. His late works show greater compassion and outward focus before his death in the 1918 flu pandemic at age 28.
- Expressive Linework: Sharp, angular, tense, and often jagged contours define forms with energetic, nervous strokes. Line is primary—structural and emotional—conveying tension, movement, and inner turmoil rather than smooth beauty. He favored contour drawing with minimal shading or tonal modeling.
- Distorted and Elongated Forms: Bodies are twisted, contorted, emaciated, or posed awkwardly—limbs stretched, joints exaggerated, poses unnatural. This rejects classical proportions to express psychological states: anxiety, ecstasy, isolation, or desire. Hands are often prominent, bony, and gestural.
- Color Palette: Restrained and emotive—earthy muted tones, deep blacks, rich reds, acidic greens/blues, or sickly flesh hues. Color heightens mood rather than modeling volume; backgrounds are often plain or minimally indicated for isolation.
- Raw Sexuality and Vulnerability: Unapologetic nudes (including self-portraits) explore eros, the body, and psyche with frankness that shocked contemporaries. Figures appear exposed, fragile, or grotesque, blending eroticism with existential unease.
- Technique and Media: Masterful draftsman; many works are drawings/watercolors on paper (often Japanese) with graphite, ink, gouache. Oils retain a graphic, linear quality with visible brushwork. He used Rodin-inspired continuous drawing (eye on model, fluid strokes) for intimacy.
- Klimt: Early decorative flair, elongated bodies, erotic themes, and line quality. Schiele moved from Klimt’s opulent, patterned gold to raw angularity and psychological depth.
- Others: Academic anatomy (which he subverted), Japanese prints (flatness, line), Rodin (drawing technique), exotic dance/puppetry (gestures), and broader Expressionist currents.
Schiele’s art probes identity, mortality, sexuality, and modern alienation. Self-portraits are merciless—gaunt, scarred, confrontational—reflecting adolescent angst evolving into universal human drama. His work feels intimate and unsettling, as if intruding on private vulnerability.
Comparison to Klimt (Contextual Tie-In)
Where Klimt’s Golden Phase dissolves figures into luxurious, symbolic ornament and gold for transcendence and sensual harmony, Schiele strips away decoration. He isolates the body with harsh lines and distortion to reveal inner torment and raw physicality. Klimt idealizes and decorates; Schiele exposes and distorts. Both share eroticism and elongated forms, but Schiele’s Expressionism is more anxious and direct.
Schiele’s brief career produced an intensely personal yet universally resonant body of work. His graphic intensity, emotional honesty, and rejection of conventional beauty profoundly influenced later Expressionism, figurative art, and modern portraiture. The raw power of his line and form continues to captivate for its psychological depth and technical mastery.
Egon Schiele’s masterful use of negative space is a cornerstone of his Expressionist style. It isolates figures, heightens psychological tension, and transforms emptiness into an active emotional force. Unlike traditional compositions where negative space (the areas around and between subjects) merely supports the positive forms, Schiele weaponizes it to evoke isolation, vulnerability, existential angst, and raw intimacy.
Isolation and the Void
Schiele frequently places contorted, emaciated figures against stark, blank backgrounds—often the untouched color or white of the paper/canvas. This creates a sense of the figure “floating” or suspended in an undefined void, untethered from any environment or context.
The emptiness strips away distractions, forcing the viewer to confront the body’s distortions, gestures, and exposed psyche directly. It mirrors fin-de-siècle themes of alienation in Freudian Vienna: individuals as solitary, introspective beings adrift in modern existence.
In self-portraits, the vast empty expanse around the intense gaze and angular form amplifies confrontation and inner turmoil—the figure seems psychologically exposed, with nothing to hide behind.
Contour, Line, and the Paper as Active Element
Schiele’s contour-focused drawing (influenced by Rodin’s continuous line technique) relies on negative space to define volume. He often leaves large areas of bare paper, using the support itself as a light-reflecting, form-creating element. Sparse lines project into the body or surrounding void, suggesting rather than fully rendering form.
This economy makes negative space feel charged and dynamic. The tension between the jagged, angular positive shapes (bony limbs, twisted torsos) and the surrounding emptiness creates visual and emotional “pull”—the viewer’s eye is drawn into the voids, heightening unease or erotic charge.
In Nudes and Erotic Works
Negative space underscores vulnerability and exposure in Schiele’s frank nudes. Figures in awkward, stretched, or contorted poses appear even more exposed against blank grounds, as if performing private acts under clinical scrutiny.
The surrounding emptiness intensifies the raw physicality and psychological intimacy, blending eroticism with discomfort.
Evolution and Context (Including Danaë)I
n his early Klimt-influenced phase (e.g., Danaë, 1909), Schiele still incorporates more decorative or landscape elements, so negative space is less dominant but begins to assert itself through flattened areas and isolation of the figure.
By 1910 onward, the blank void becomes signature. In group or couple scenes (e.g., The Embrace), negative space around intertwined bodies can paradoxically emphasize emotional distance or the fragility of connection amid surrounding emptiness.
Symbolic and Expressive Power
- Psychological depth — Emptiness externalizes inner states: anxiety, desire, mortality.
- Focus and drama — It directs attention to expressive hands, faces, and distorted anatomy.
- Modernist innovation — Schiele’s approach rejects illusionistic depth for a flatter, more graphic plane where positive/negative interplay feels tense and alive.
Psychiatric analysis of the art and life of Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele (1890–1918), the Austrian Expressionist painter and draftsman, produced intensely psychological works that continue to invite psychiatric and psychoanalytic interpretation. His art—characterized by contorted bodies, raw eroticism, anguished expressions, and fragmented forms—reflects deep explorations of sexuality, mortality, identity, and inner turmoil, often intertwined with his traumatic personal history.
Biographical Context and Psychological Influences
Schiele's early life was marked by profound loss and instability. His father, a railway stationmaster, suffered from tertiary syphilis, descending into psychosis and rage before dying in 1905 when Schiele was 14. This event profoundly impacted the young artist, igniting a lifelong preoccupation with sexuality, madness, and death. Some psychoanalytic interpretations speculate on possible congenital syphilis in Schiele himself, citing biographical accounts of adolescent grandiosity (e.g., proclaiming himself a "Godhead") and potential psychotic features, though this remains debated.
Raised in fin-de-siècle Vienna amid Freud's emerging psychoanalysis, Schiele was exposed to ideas about the unconscious, though no direct engagement with Freud is documented. His mentor Gustav Klimt introduced him to erotic themes, but Schiele radicalized them into visceral, unsettling expressions. In 1912, Schiele was briefly imprisoned on charges related to immorality and seducing a minor (though convicted only for public display of erotic drawings), fueling his outsider status. He died at 28 during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, days after his pregnant wife.
Schiele's prolific self-portraits (over 100) and nudes often draw from psychiatric imagery of the era. He was influenced by Jean-Martin Charcot's photographic documentation of hysterical patients at La Salpêtrière, as well as visits to Vienna's psychiatric institutions. His contorted poses and "pathological" bodies mimic clinical photographs of mental illness, blending medical observation with modernist strategy to convey psychological authenticity.
Self-Portrait with Physalis (1912) and similar works show emaciated, grimacing figures with exaggerated gestures, evoking hysteria or inner torment.
Key Psychoanalytic Themes in His Art
Psychoanalysts like Danielle Knafo view Schiele's self-portraits as acts of narcissistic self-creation and mastery over trauma. Failed maternal mirroring and paternal loss led to distorted body images: he "revives" his father symbolically while "killing" the mother in works like Dead Mother I (1910), depicting a corpse-like figure with a living infant—interpreting maternal depression or emotional absence.
Erotic drawings blend desire with aggression and death (eros and thanatos). Nudes appear vulnerable, exposed, and fragmented, suggesting anxiety over sexuality tainted by his father's illness.
Portraits of his muse Wally Neuzil (e.g., Portrait of Wally, 1912) show tender yet intense vulnerability.
Schiele's exaggerated hands and gestures recall mannerisms in autism or schizophrenia, interpreted as projections of disintegration fears balanced by creative integration.Modern Psychiatric Perspectives
While not diagnosable retrospectively, scholars note traits of narcissistic personality (grandiosity, self-dramatization), borderline features (identity struggles, intense relationships), or depressive/anxious states. His art served as sublimation—transforming pain into expressive power—evident in evolving maturity from raw anguish (1910s) to subtler works before his death.
Schiele's legacy lies in unflinchingly visualizing the psyche's darker recesses, making his art a mirror for human fragility in an era of emerging psychological insight.
Special Report
Self Portrait
Egon Schiele (1890–1918), the Austrian Expressionist painter and protégé of Gustav Klimt, produced an extraordinary number of self-portraits—over 100 in his short career—making them a cornerstone of his oeuvre. These works, created primarily between 1910 and 1918, stand out for their raw intensity, psychological depth, and unflinching confrontation with the self. Unlike traditional self-portraits that often idealize or narrate identity, Schiele's are confrontational, eroticized, and distorted, serving as a mirror for inner turmoil, vulnerability, sexuality, isolation, mortality, and existential angst.
Style and Technique
Schiele's self-portraits are instantly recognizable through his signature Expressionist approach:
Key Themes
Schiele's self-portraits form a figurative autobiography, chronicling his emotional and artistic development:
Schiele's self-portraits peaked in intensity around 1910–1912, then evolved toward slightly smoother lines and more realism in his final years.
Significance and Legacy
Schiele's self-portraits are unparalleled in Western art for their male nudity and erotic frankness—prefiguring modern explorations of identity, body horror, and mental health. They influenced later artists (e.g., Bacon, Schiele's raw flesh parallels Bacon's decay; his contortions echo in postwar Expressionism). Major collections include the Leopold Museum (Vienna, with the world's largest Schiele holdings) and Neue Galerie (New York), which hosted landmark exhibitions like "Egon Schiele: Portraits" (2014) and "The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann." His work remains provocative, embodying the angst of early modernism.
Style and Technique
Schiele's self-portraits are instantly recognizable through his signature Expressionist approach:
- Exaggerated, contorted figures: Bodies appear emaciated, angular, and unnaturally posed—limbs twisted, torsos elongated, hands splayed in peculiar, claw-like gestures—to convey emotional states rather than anatomical accuracy.
- Sharp, jagged lines and bold outlines: He used sparse, nervous brushwork or ink contours that isolate forms against blank or neutral backgrounds, heightening isolation and psychological tension.
- Pallid, unnatural colors: Skin tones often sickly green, yellow, or mottled; arbitrary hues emphasize decay, fragility, or inner pathology rather than realism.
- Minimal props and negative space: Figures float in voids, devoid of context or traditional portrait elements (clothing, furniture), forcing focus on the raw body and psyche.
- Erotic and confrontational gaze: Direct eye contact challenges the viewer; poses are revealing, often nude or semi-nude, blending autoeroticism with vulnerability.
Key Themes
Schiele's self-portraits form a figurative autobiography, chronicling his emotional and artistic development:
- Psychological introspection and isolation: Figures appear haunted, fragile, and alienated—reflecting fears of death, madness, and existential dread.
- Sexuality and erotic guilt: Nude or masturbatory poses fuse desire with shame, confronting taboos around male vulnerability and autoeroticism.
- Mortality and decay: Emaciated forms and scarred features evoke the body's fragility, prefiguring his own early death from the Spanish flu at age 28.
- Narcissism and self-mythologizing: The frequency and intensity suggest a search for identity amid rebellion against convention—sometimes arrogant, sometimes tortured.
Schiele's self-portraits peaked in intensity around 1910–1912, then evolved toward slightly smoother lines and more realism in his final years.
- 1910 series — A breakthrough burst: At age 20, Schiele produced three major full-figure self-portraits, marking his departure from Klimt's influence toward radical Expressionism.
- Self-Portrait with Striped Shirt (1910, Leopold Museum, Vienna): Clothed but tense, with a defiant stare.
- Self-Portrait Pulling Down an Eyelid (1910): Grotesque grimace, mocking or pained expression.
- Self-Portrait (1910, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid): Watercolor and charcoal; emaciated nude from a low angle, emphasizing skinniness and provocative eroticism—like a wounded Saint Sebastian.
- Self-Portrait Grimacing (1910): Distorted facial expression, raw and unsettling.
- Self-Portrait with Black Clay Pot (1911): Allegorical, with props symbolizing creativity or melancholy.
- Self-Portrait with Lowered Head (1912, Leopold Museum): Head bowed in vulnerability or shame, hands in odd gestures.
- Self-Portrait with Peacock Waistcoat, Standing (1911): Part of the "Self-Seers" series—arrogant pose, ornate waistcoat contrasting gaunt form.
- Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant (Physalis) (1912): One of his most famous; the artist beside a plant, face lined with scars/deformities, blending human fragility with natural decay—captivating yet eerie.
Significance and Legacy
Schiele's self-portraits are unparalleled in Western art for their male nudity and erotic frankness—prefiguring modern explorations of identity, body horror, and mental health. They influenced later artists (e.g., Bacon, Schiele's raw flesh parallels Bacon's decay; his contortions echo in postwar Expressionism). Major collections include the Leopold Museum (Vienna, with the world's largest Schiele holdings) and Neue Galerie (New York), which hosted landmark exhibitions like "Egon Schiele: Portraits" (2014) and "The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann." His work remains provocative, embodying the angst of early modernism.
1909 Danaë
2026 SOLD for £ 18M by Sotheby's
Egon Schiele’s Danaë (1909, oil and metallic paint on canvas, 80.5 × 125.7 cm) is a key early work from his breakthrough period. Schiele signed and dated it lower right; it was sold for £ 18M by Sotheby’s in the Masterpieces from the Lewis Collection sale (June 24, 2026, lot 7, estimate £12–18 million).
Context and Breakthrough Year
Schiele (1890–1918) entered the Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien in 1906 as a prodigy but grew frustrated with its conservative training. In 1909, after his third year, he left in rebellion and co-founded the Neukunstgruppe (“New Art Group”) with like-minded students who sought a more modern, personal expression. This marked his shift from academic realism toward bolder, more personal work. Gustav Klimt, whom Schiele idolized and met around 1907–1908, became a mentor and key influence. Klimt invited him to exhibit at the 1909 Kunstschau Wien, where Danaë was shown alongside other works.
Inspiration and Theme Choice
The painting draws directly from Klimt’s Danaë (1907), part of the long Western tradition depicting the myth of Danaë (imprisoned by her father, visited by Zeus as a golden shower, conceiving Perseus). Klimt’s version is sensual and opulent, with a plump, receptive figure amid swirling gold and decorative patterns. Schiele’s is more restrained and personal: a youthful, auburn-haired nude curled modestly in a natural setting of grass and woods, with a yellowish, flatter body (echoing Ukiyo-e influences admired by both artists), bony hands, and less excessive ornamentation. It shows homage to Klimt’s eroticism and decorative flair but introduces Schiele’s emerging traits—psychological intensity, angularity, and a rawer physicality.
Schiele chose the theme as a vehicle for exploring sensuality, the body, and desire—core fascinations shared with Klimt—while asserting independence in a breakthrough year. It blends mythological allure with modern psychological undertones, fitting Vienna’s fin-de-siècle interest in eros, the unconscious, and artistic rebellion.
Key Details and Technique
Reception by Critics and Public (Period)
At the 1909 Kunstschau, Danaë and Schiele’s other entries drew attention for their Klimt-inspired eroticism and decorative boldness, but reactions were mixed amid Vienna’s conservative circles. Schiele’s frank treatment of the body was provocative even early on; his overall output (especially later nudes) faced scandal, censorship, and accusations of immorality (e.g., his 1912 arrest in Neulengbach). Public and critical views often saw his work as decadent or unsettling, though supporters like Arthur Roessler praised him. It was exhibited multiple times later (e.g., 1928 Vienna memorial, various international shows).
Legacy
Danaë exemplifies Schiele’s rapid evolution and lasting impact on Expressionism. His raw, distorted figures, intense linework, and exploration of sexuality/psyche influenced later artists and cemented his reputation as a bridge from Secession/Jugendstil to full Expressionism. Despite (or because of) early controversies, his work is now celebrated for psychological depth and modernity. The painting has strong provenance and exhibition history, including loans to major museums like the Neue Galerie and Metropolitan.
Comparison with Portrait des Malers Anton Peschka (1909)
This portrait of Schiele’s friend and fellow artist (oil and metallic paint on canvas, 110.2 × 100 cm (sold for £ 7.7M by Sotheby's on February 5, 2001, lot 19. ) also dates to 1909 and shares the same transitional style and materials.
Similarities in Technique:
These pieces together illustrate Schiele’s rapid maturation in 1909: rebellion against academia, mentorship under Klimt, and the birth of a unique voice that blended sensuality, line, and psychological rawness.
Context and Breakthrough Year
Schiele (1890–1918) entered the Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien in 1906 as a prodigy but grew frustrated with its conservative training. In 1909, after his third year, he left in rebellion and co-founded the Neukunstgruppe (“New Art Group”) with like-minded students who sought a more modern, personal expression. This marked his shift from academic realism toward bolder, more personal work. Gustav Klimt, whom Schiele idolized and met around 1907–1908, became a mentor and key influence. Klimt invited him to exhibit at the 1909 Kunstschau Wien, where Danaë was shown alongside other works.
Inspiration and Theme Choice
The painting draws directly from Klimt’s Danaë (1907), part of the long Western tradition depicting the myth of Danaë (imprisoned by her father, visited by Zeus as a golden shower, conceiving Perseus). Klimt’s version is sensual and opulent, with a plump, receptive figure amid swirling gold and decorative patterns. Schiele’s is more restrained and personal: a youthful, auburn-haired nude curled modestly in a natural setting of grass and woods, with a yellowish, flatter body (echoing Ukiyo-e influences admired by both artists), bony hands, and less excessive ornamentation. It shows homage to Klimt’s eroticism and decorative flair but introduces Schiele’s emerging traits—psychological intensity, angularity, and a rawer physicality.
Schiele chose the theme as a vehicle for exploring sensuality, the body, and desire—core fascinations shared with Klimt—while asserting independence in a breakthrough year. It blends mythological allure with modern psychological undertones, fitting Vienna’s fin-de-siècle interest in eros, the unconscious, and artistic rebellion.
Key Details and Technique
- Composition: Horizontal format; Danaë lies curled, partially shielding herself, with a dreamy, rosy-cheeked face and flat, stylized body. Metallic paint adds shimmer for the “golden” element (more subtle than Klimt’s).
- Technique: Oil with metallic paint on canvas. Early Schiele here mixes Klimt-like ornament and flatness with emerging personal line work—tense contours, bony extremities, and a blend of decorative and raw elements. The body appears somewhat flattened and yellowish, contrasting the more naturalistic face and setting.
Reception by Critics and Public (Period)
At the 1909 Kunstschau, Danaë and Schiele’s other entries drew attention for their Klimt-inspired eroticism and decorative boldness, but reactions were mixed amid Vienna’s conservative circles. Schiele’s frank treatment of the body was provocative even early on; his overall output (especially later nudes) faced scandal, censorship, and accusations of immorality (e.g., his 1912 arrest in Neulengbach). Public and critical views often saw his work as decadent or unsettling, though supporters like Arthur Roessler praised him. It was exhibited multiple times later (e.g., 1928 Vienna memorial, various international shows).
Legacy
Danaë exemplifies Schiele’s rapid evolution and lasting impact on Expressionism. His raw, distorted figures, intense linework, and exploration of sexuality/psyche influenced later artists and cemented his reputation as a bridge from Secession/Jugendstil to full Expressionism. Despite (or because of) early controversies, his work is now celebrated for psychological depth and modernity. The painting has strong provenance and exhibition history, including loans to major museums like the Neue Galerie and Metropolitan.
Comparison with Portrait des Malers Anton Peschka (1909)
This portrait of Schiele’s friend and fellow artist (oil and metallic paint on canvas, 110.2 × 100 cm (sold for £ 7.7M by Sotheby's on February 5, 2001, lot 19. ) also dates to 1909 and shares the same transitional style and materials.
Similarities in Technique:
- Both use oil with metallic paint, reflecting Klimt’s influence (gold shimmer, decorative elements, flattened areas).
- Strong contours, stylized forms, and a blend of portrait/figure traditions with modernist flattening.
- Executed in Schiele’s breakthrough year, showing academic foundations evolving toward bolder expression.
- Danaë is mythological/erotic: reclining nude in a landscape, more sensual/decorative yet with Schiele’s bony, angular touches and psychological introspection. It leans toward Symbolism/Art Nouveau while hinting at raw physicality.
- The Peschka Portrait is a direct, introspective likeness of a contemporary male artist/friend. It emphasizes character and presence with Klimt-influenced decoration but introduces more personal intensity—muted tones in some views, careful composition, and emerging psychological depth over pure ornament. It feels more grounded and portrait-specific, less overtly erotic/mythic.
These pieces together illustrate Schiele’s rapid maturation in 1909: rebellion against academia, mentorship under Klimt, and the birth of a unique voice that blended sensuality, line, and psychological rawness.
April 1912 Ich liebe Gegensätze
2023 SOLD for $ 11M by Christie's
Egon Schiele and Wally Neuziel live together since the end of 1911. He is 21 years old and she is 17. She is the main model of his erotic art. The neighbors seek to protect their teenage daughters against the sulphurous influence of the unmarried couple. Egon and Wally leave Vienna and Krumau successively and settle in the village of Neulengbach.
After another complaint Schiele spends 24 days in the prison of Neulengbach, in April 1912. He is not immediately informed about the details of the charges. To counter his despair he obtains the colors and paper to create some art, as Lautrec had done in the asylum in 1899.
This series of thirteen drawings in gouache, watercolor and pencil is made of self portraits with various expressions and anguished titles. Ich liebe Gegensätze, 48 x 32 cm executed on April 24, features the distraught Egon with wide open eyes, tightly wrapped upright in a red sleeveless blanket. Two black buttons remind a fool from the Commedia dell'Arte. The red fabric anticipates the impersonation of the artist as a sex crazy cardinal in a further series of works.
This drawing had been spoliated by the Nazis in 1938 and restituted in 2023. It was sold for $ 11M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Christie's on November 9, 2023, lot 5 B.
His conviction was limited to an offense against morality for exhibiting erotic drawings in a place accessible to young children. He was condemned to a fine and the judge set fire to one of the indecent drawings.
After another complaint Schiele spends 24 days in the prison of Neulengbach, in April 1912. He is not immediately informed about the details of the charges. To counter his despair he obtains the colors and paper to create some art, as Lautrec had done in the asylum in 1899.
This series of thirteen drawings in gouache, watercolor and pencil is made of self portraits with various expressions and anguished titles. Ich liebe Gegensätze, 48 x 32 cm executed on April 24, features the distraught Egon with wide open eyes, tightly wrapped upright in a red sleeveless blanket. Two black buttons remind a fool from the Commedia dell'Arte. The red fabric anticipates the impersonation of the artist as a sex crazy cardinal in a further series of works.
This drawing had been spoliated by the Nazis in 1938 and restituted in 2023. It was sold for $ 11M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Christie's on November 9, 2023, lot 5 B.
His conviction was limited to an offense against morality for exhibiting erotic drawings in a place accessible to young children. He was condemned to a fine and the judge set fire to one of the indecent drawings.
#AuctionUpdate: From our 20th Century Evening Sale, Egon Schiele’s ‘Ich liebe Gegensätze' realizes $11M — almost 5X its high estimate pic.twitter.com/kZGncSXCcm
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) November 10, 2023
end of 1912 Triestiner Fischerboot
2019 SOLD for £ 10.7M by Sotheby's
Once out of the Neulengbach ordeal, Egon Schiele feels the need to change air. In May he spends a few days in Trieste, a place he loved, in the pleasant atmosphere of the fishing port.
On February 26, 2019, Sotheby's sold for £ 10.7M from a lower estimate of £ 6M Triestiner Fischerboot, lot 9, oil on canvas certainly painted in his studio in Vienna around the end of 1912.
On a square format 70 x 70 cm, the composition is symmetrical and flat. The boat is seen from the front, in a rather naive drawing and without perspective. The colors are rich and saturated, in the morbid style that Schiele had already practiced.
The perspective is nevertheless present by the water that deviates in front of the boat as if she was rushing onto the observer. At the foreground of the boat two anchor points increase the threat of this subject that could have been peaceful. Black in a bright red orbit, they are on both sides of the main axis like the intimidating taotie of the Chinese liturgical bronzes.
The logical continuation of Triestiner Fischerboot is the series of haunted cityscapes of Krumau in which no human presence is needed to express the artist's feelings. Until 1912 Schiele could have become a cursed artist. This is not the case : fame comes to him as early as 1913 with his first solo exhibition.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Jan 19, 2019
Painted in 1912, Egon #Schiele’s strikingly modernist depiction of a fishing boat in Trieste sails to auction for the first time, telling the story of a tumultuous year in the artist’s life #SothebysImpMod https://bit.ly/2Mjpmqm
On February 26, 2019, Sotheby's sold for £ 10.7M from a lower estimate of £ 6M Triestiner Fischerboot, lot 9, oil on canvas certainly painted in his studio in Vienna around the end of 1912.
On a square format 70 x 70 cm, the composition is symmetrical and flat. The boat is seen from the front, in a rather naive drawing and without perspective. The colors are rich and saturated, in the morbid style that Schiele had already practiced.
The perspective is nevertheless present by the water that deviates in front of the boat as if she was rushing onto the observer. At the foreground of the boat two anchor points increase the threat of this subject that could have been peaceful. Black in a bright red orbit, they are on both sides of the main axis like the intimidating taotie of the Chinese liturgical bronzes.
The logical continuation of Triestiner Fischerboot is the series of haunted cityscapes of Krumau in which no human presence is needed to express the artist's feelings. Until 1912 Schiele could have become a cursed artist. This is not the case : fame comes to him as early as 1913 with his first solo exhibition.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Jan 19, 2019
Painted in 1912, Egon #Schiele’s strikingly modernist depiction of a fishing boat in Trieste sails to auction for the first time, telling the story of a tumultuous year in the artist’s life #SothebysImpMod https://bit.ly/2Mjpmqm
- Egon Schiele’s 1912 painting "Triestiner Fischerboot," featured in the Sotheby’s auction, reflects his radical shift to modernism after a 1912 imprisonment in Neulengbach, where a scandal involving a minor led to his arrest, pushing him to explore bold colors and flattened perspectives inspired by Gustav Klimt.
- The artwork, created during a tumultuous year marked by European avant-garde movements like Cubism and Expressionism, symbolizes Schiele’s psychological state with its drifting boat, a motif tied to his escape to Trieste and a 1911 letter describing the city’s vibrant colors.
- Historical records, including a 2021 Medium article and Sotheby’s own catalog, confirm the painting’s rarity, having remained in a private collection since 1962, with an estimated value of £6-8 million, highlighting its significance in early 20th-century art.
#AuctionUpdate We’re sailing away with Egon Schiele’s uniquely modernist depiction of a fishing boat in Trieste. Offered at auction for the first time, this square-format painting brings £10.7 million #SothebysImpMod pic.twitter.com/F0CVexb5uK
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) February 26, 2019
1913 Selbstbildnis mit Modell
2013 SOLD for $ 11.3M by Christie's
The 24 days spent in prison in 1912 by Egon Schiele after an exhibition of sexually explicit drawings exacerbated his own mysticism. Concerned that the deep roots of his art were fully misunderstood by everybody, he went to charge religion and bourgeois in an implacable expressionist style that anticipates by a few years Grosz and Dix.
In 1912 a post imprisonment works features a red dressed cardinal and a black dressed young nun kneeling in bare legs for a carnal embrace.
They are indeed a self portrait of the artist with Wally. Around the same time Egon starts associating him with the Christian martyrs by representing himself as a tonsured monk in ecstasy with an emaciated face.
Painted in 1913, Selbstbildnis mit Modell is another double figure of Egon and Wally. They are physically separated and do not look at one another. An elongated arm of the man is reaching the waiting woman in an intention of communion whose ritual can only be understood by the artist.
Conceived as a 70 x 240 cm fragment for a monumental frieze that would highlight the prophet artist as a supreme guru and his muse as the first converted, this oil on canvas somehow reminds the monastic frescoes of the Renaissance. It was sold for $ 11.3M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Christie's on May 8, 2013, lot 37. The frieze was not executed.
In 1912 a post imprisonment works features a red dressed cardinal and a black dressed young nun kneeling in bare legs for a carnal embrace.
They are indeed a self portrait of the artist with Wally. Around the same time Egon starts associating him with the Christian martyrs by representing himself as a tonsured monk in ecstasy with an emaciated face.
Painted in 1913, Selbstbildnis mit Modell is another double figure of Egon and Wally. They are physically separated and do not look at one another. An elongated arm of the man is reaching the waiting woman in an intention of communion whose ritual can only be understood by the artist.
Conceived as a 70 x 240 cm fragment for a monumental frieze that would highlight the prophet artist as a supreme guru and his muse as the first converted, this oil on canvas somehow reminds the monastic frescoes of the Renaissance. It was sold for $ 11.3M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Christie's on May 8, 2013, lot 37. The frieze was not executed.
Tote Stadt
Tote Stadt series by Schiele. Significance in the artist's career. Compare Die kleine Stadt II (sold by Sotheby's on November 12, 2018, lot 19), Vorstadt II (sold by Sotheby's on June 22, 2011), Einzelne Häuser (sold by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 60) and Krumauer Landschaft (sold by Sotheby's on June 23, 2003, lot 6).
Significance of the Tote Stadt Series in Egon Schiele's Career
Egon Schiele's Tote Stadt (Dead City) series, primarily created between 1910 and 1911, represents a pivotal moment in his artistic development, marking his transition from the decorative influences of Jugendstil and his mentor Gustav Klimt toward a more raw, introspective form of Austrian Expressionism. These townscape paintings, often depicting the medieval Bohemian town of Krumau (now Český Krumlov)—his mother's birthplace and a personal refuge—embody themes of decay, isolation, melancholy, and human vulnerability. Schiele referred to Krumau as the "dead city," "old city," or "city on the blue river," using its winding streets, crumbling buildings, and tortuous Moldau River (Vltava) as metaphors for eternity, persistence amid ruin, and his own emotional turmoil. Works in this series, such as Dead City III (1911), feature distorted perspectives, jagged lines, and anthropomorphic architecture (e.g., windows as "eyes," houses huddled like figures), blending naturalism with abstraction to project inner psychological states rather than literal topography.
The series emerged during Schiele's formative years (1906–1909) but gained maturity around 1910–1911, following his departure from the Vienna Academy and amid personal scandals, including a brief imprisonment in 1912 for alleged indecency. These landscapes allowed Schiele to explore symbolism influenced by Edvard Munch and Viennese Secessionism, rejecting conventional beauty in favor of the "tragic and ugly" to convey modern alienation. By 1913–1918, the motifs evolved into larger-scale townscapes, incorporating high vantage points, geometric forms, and vibrant yet somber palettes, reflecting wartime anxieties (World War I) and personal fears of mortality. Though Schiele's career was cut short by his death in 1918 at age 28, the Tote Stadt works and related Krumau townscapes—comprising oils, drawings, and watercolors—demonstrate his prodigious output (over 3,000 works total) and innovative draughtsmanship. They solidified his reputation as a master of expressive form, bridging figural and landscape genres, and contributed to his late success, such as the 1918 Vienna Secession exhibition where many pieces sold. Today, these paintings are hailed for their visionary scope, with most in major museums, underscoring Schiele's lasting impact on 20th-century art.
Comparison of the Specified Paintings
All four paintings are oil-on-canvas townscapes inspired by Krumau, part of or closely related to the broader Tote Stadt motif of desolate, anthropomorphic urban decay. They span Schiele's mature period (1913–1916), showcasing his evolving style: elevated "bird's-eye" perspectives that flatten space, organic compositions rejecting traditional depth, and colors evoking Gothic stained glass or folk art. These works are not topographical records but personalized visions, projecting emotions like isolation and vulnerability amid World War I's shadow. Each features huddled houses symbolizing human persistence and ruin, with symbolic elements (e.g., rivers as boundaries, laundry as traces of absent life). Provenances often involve early Viennese collectors, with some affected by Nazi looting and later restitution. Auction histories reflect rising market value for Schiele's rare large-scale landscapes.
Die kleine Stadt II (Dämmernde Stadt / City in Twilight (The Small City II)) (1913): A square-format view of Krumau's medieval streets rising vertiginously above the river, with houses crowding the plane in jewel-like colors (restrained palette with bright accents). The composition emphasizes organic clutter and Gothic revivalism, evoking stained-glass effects and a spiritual rejection of modern artificiality. Painted from memory, it reflects Schiele's emotional response to the town's "eternity of decay." Provenance includes acquisition by Elsa Koditschek in 1928, looted in 1942, and restituted in 2018. Exhibited widely, including early shows in Budapest and Munich.
Vorstadt II (Häuser mit bunter Wäsche / Houses with Laundry (Suburb II)) (1914): A harmonious blend of river foreground, colorful houses, and drying laundry against fields, creating a decorative, shimmering effect influenced by Klimt. The horizontal lines (rows of houses, laundry) balance vertical poles and rooftops, with small boats adding whimsy. It symbolizes absent human presence in a "dead" yet vibrant suburb, loosely based on Krumau motifs. Owned initially by Heinrich Böhler; part of the Leopold Museum collection until sold.
Einzelne Häuser (Häuser mit Bergen / Individual Houses (Houses with Mountains)) (1915): Isolated, skeletal houses huddled against a barren countryside and distant mountains, with a pale, fungal palette suggesting rot and vulnerability. Buildings take on human qualities, contorted like nudes, evoking Krumau's "Dead City" paranoia. Painted from memory during wartime, it contrasts frenetic forms with a structured grid background, drawing from Cubism and medieval art. Verso features a fragment of Monk I (1913), linking to religious/sexual themes.
Krumauer Landschaft (Stadt und Fluss / Krumau Landscape: Town and River) (1916): A view of Krumau's town and winding river, emphasizing the "blue river" motif with dark, sonorous tones and geometric house blocks. It captures the town's island-like configuration from a high perch, symbolizing persistence amid decay. Looted from Daisy Hellmann during the Nazi era and restituted in 2003; one of Schiele's later townscapes reflecting wartime melancholy.
Aspect
Die kleine Stadt II (1913)
Vorstadt II (1914)
Einzelne Häuser (1915)
Krumauer Landschaft (1916)
Size
90.5 x 90.1 cm (square)
99 x 119 cm (rectangular)
109.8 x 139.7 cm (rectangular)
Approx. similar scale (details limited; typical large townscape)
Medium
Oil and black crayon on canvas
Oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
Composition & Perspective
Vertiginous rise of houses over river; flattened depth, organic medieval clutter
Horizontal harmony of river, houses, laundry; elevated view unifying natural/man-made
Isolated houses against barren land/mountains; contorted, human-like formsTown blocks along tortuous river; high vantage emphasizing isolation
Color & Mood
Restrained with jewel accents (Gothic stained glass); twilight melancholy, spiritual truth
Bright, folkish bursts (laundry, houses); decorative yet symbolic absence
Pale, fungal tones (decay, rot); vulnerable, paranoid "Dead City"
Dark sonorous (blue-black river); nostalgic persistence amid ruin
Key Influences/Themes
Post-Impressionism (van Gogh, Cézanne), Klimt's square format; rejection of beauty
Klimt's decoratism; harmonious yet empty suburb
Cubism (Picasso/Braque), medieval art; wartime mortality fears
Symbolism (Munch); eternity of human decay
Provenance Highlights
Acquired via Klimt; looted 1942, restituted 2018
Böhler family to Leopold Museum
Harta/Koller families; Fogarassy to current
Hellmann heirs (looted, restituted 2003)
Exhibitions
Budapest (1913), Vienna (1928, 1948), etc.
Vienna (1914–15), Amsterdam (1956), Tokyo (1986), etc.
Stockholm (1917), Vienna Secession (1918), New York Guggenheim (1965), etc.
Limited details; post-restitution shows
Auction Details
Sotheby's Nov 12, 2018 (lot 19); est. $12–18M; sold for $24.57M USD
Sotheby's June 22, 2011 (lot 9); sold for £24.68M ($39.62M USD), artist record at time
Christie's Nov 8, 2006 (lot 60); sold for $22.4M USD (incl. premium)
Sotheby's June 23, 2003 (lot 6); sold for £12.7M ($21.2M USD)
These paintings trace Schiele's progression: from the visionary Gothic introspection of 1913 to the wartime desolation of 1915–1916. Die kleine Stadt II and Vorstadt II retain decorative vibrancy, while Einzelne Häuser and Krumauer Landschaft amplify decay. Their high auction values highlight rarity and enduring appeal, with restitution adding historical layers.
Significance of the Tote Stadt Series in Egon Schiele's Career
Egon Schiele's Tote Stadt (Dead City) series, primarily created between 1910 and 1911, represents a pivotal moment in his artistic development, marking his transition from the decorative influences of Jugendstil and his mentor Gustav Klimt toward a more raw, introspective form of Austrian Expressionism. These townscape paintings, often depicting the medieval Bohemian town of Krumau (now Český Krumlov)—his mother's birthplace and a personal refuge—embody themes of decay, isolation, melancholy, and human vulnerability. Schiele referred to Krumau as the "dead city," "old city," or "city on the blue river," using its winding streets, crumbling buildings, and tortuous Moldau River (Vltava) as metaphors for eternity, persistence amid ruin, and his own emotional turmoil. Works in this series, such as Dead City III (1911), feature distorted perspectives, jagged lines, and anthropomorphic architecture (e.g., windows as "eyes," houses huddled like figures), blending naturalism with abstraction to project inner psychological states rather than literal topography.
The series emerged during Schiele's formative years (1906–1909) but gained maturity around 1910–1911, following his departure from the Vienna Academy and amid personal scandals, including a brief imprisonment in 1912 for alleged indecency. These landscapes allowed Schiele to explore symbolism influenced by Edvard Munch and Viennese Secessionism, rejecting conventional beauty in favor of the "tragic and ugly" to convey modern alienation. By 1913–1918, the motifs evolved into larger-scale townscapes, incorporating high vantage points, geometric forms, and vibrant yet somber palettes, reflecting wartime anxieties (World War I) and personal fears of mortality. Though Schiele's career was cut short by his death in 1918 at age 28, the Tote Stadt works and related Krumau townscapes—comprising oils, drawings, and watercolors—demonstrate his prodigious output (over 3,000 works total) and innovative draughtsmanship. They solidified his reputation as a master of expressive form, bridging figural and landscape genres, and contributed to his late success, such as the 1918 Vienna Secession exhibition where many pieces sold. Today, these paintings are hailed for their visionary scope, with most in major museums, underscoring Schiele's lasting impact on 20th-century art.
Comparison of the Specified Paintings
All four paintings are oil-on-canvas townscapes inspired by Krumau, part of or closely related to the broader Tote Stadt motif of desolate, anthropomorphic urban decay. They span Schiele's mature period (1913–1916), showcasing his evolving style: elevated "bird's-eye" perspectives that flatten space, organic compositions rejecting traditional depth, and colors evoking Gothic stained glass or folk art. These works are not topographical records but personalized visions, projecting emotions like isolation and vulnerability amid World War I's shadow. Each features huddled houses symbolizing human persistence and ruin, with symbolic elements (e.g., rivers as boundaries, laundry as traces of absent life). Provenances often involve early Viennese collectors, with some affected by Nazi looting and later restitution. Auction histories reflect rising market value for Schiele's rare large-scale landscapes.
Die kleine Stadt II (Dämmernde Stadt / City in Twilight (The Small City II)) (1913): A square-format view of Krumau's medieval streets rising vertiginously above the river, with houses crowding the plane in jewel-like colors (restrained palette with bright accents). The composition emphasizes organic clutter and Gothic revivalism, evoking stained-glass effects and a spiritual rejection of modern artificiality. Painted from memory, it reflects Schiele's emotional response to the town's "eternity of decay." Provenance includes acquisition by Elsa Koditschek in 1928, looted in 1942, and restituted in 2018. Exhibited widely, including early shows in Budapest and Munich.
Vorstadt II (Häuser mit bunter Wäsche / Houses with Laundry (Suburb II)) (1914): A harmonious blend of river foreground, colorful houses, and drying laundry against fields, creating a decorative, shimmering effect influenced by Klimt. The horizontal lines (rows of houses, laundry) balance vertical poles and rooftops, with small boats adding whimsy. It symbolizes absent human presence in a "dead" yet vibrant suburb, loosely based on Krumau motifs. Owned initially by Heinrich Böhler; part of the Leopold Museum collection until sold.
Einzelne Häuser (Häuser mit Bergen / Individual Houses (Houses with Mountains)) (1915): Isolated, skeletal houses huddled against a barren countryside and distant mountains, with a pale, fungal palette suggesting rot and vulnerability. Buildings take on human qualities, contorted like nudes, evoking Krumau's "Dead City" paranoia. Painted from memory during wartime, it contrasts frenetic forms with a structured grid background, drawing from Cubism and medieval art. Verso features a fragment of Monk I (1913), linking to religious/sexual themes.
Krumauer Landschaft (Stadt und Fluss / Krumau Landscape: Town and River) (1916): A view of Krumau's town and winding river, emphasizing the "blue river" motif with dark, sonorous tones and geometric house blocks. It captures the town's island-like configuration from a high perch, symbolizing persistence amid decay. Looted from Daisy Hellmann during the Nazi era and restituted in 2003; one of Schiele's later townscapes reflecting wartime melancholy.
Aspect
Die kleine Stadt II (1913)
Vorstadt II (1914)
Einzelne Häuser (1915)
Krumauer Landschaft (1916)
Size
90.5 x 90.1 cm (square)
99 x 119 cm (rectangular)
109.8 x 139.7 cm (rectangular)
Approx. similar scale (details limited; typical large townscape)
Medium
Oil and black crayon on canvas
Oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
Composition & Perspective
Vertiginous rise of houses over river; flattened depth, organic medieval clutter
Horizontal harmony of river, houses, laundry; elevated view unifying natural/man-made
Isolated houses against barren land/mountains; contorted, human-like formsTown blocks along tortuous river; high vantage emphasizing isolation
Color & Mood
Restrained with jewel accents (Gothic stained glass); twilight melancholy, spiritual truth
Bright, folkish bursts (laundry, houses); decorative yet symbolic absence
Pale, fungal tones (decay, rot); vulnerable, paranoid "Dead City"
Dark sonorous (blue-black river); nostalgic persistence amid ruin
Key Influences/Themes
Post-Impressionism (van Gogh, Cézanne), Klimt's square format; rejection of beauty
Klimt's decoratism; harmonious yet empty suburb
Cubism (Picasso/Braque), medieval art; wartime mortality fears
Symbolism (Munch); eternity of human decay
Provenance Highlights
Acquired via Klimt; looted 1942, restituted 2018
Böhler family to Leopold Museum
Harta/Koller families; Fogarassy to current
Hellmann heirs (looted, restituted 2003)
Exhibitions
Budapest (1913), Vienna (1928, 1948), etc.
Vienna (1914–15), Amsterdam (1956), Tokyo (1986), etc.
Stockholm (1917), Vienna Secession (1918), New York Guggenheim (1965), etc.
Limited details; post-restitution shows
Auction Details
Sotheby's Nov 12, 2018 (lot 19); est. $12–18M; sold for $24.57M USD
Sotheby's June 22, 2011 (lot 9); sold for £24.68M ($39.62M USD), artist record at time
Christie's Nov 8, 2006 (lot 60); sold for $22.4M USD (incl. premium)
Sotheby's June 23, 2003 (lot 6); sold for £12.7M ($21.2M USD)
These paintings trace Schiele's progression: from the visionary Gothic introspection of 1913 to the wartime desolation of 1915–1916. Die kleine Stadt II and Vorstadt II retain decorative vibrancy, while Einzelne Häuser and Krumauer Landschaft amplify decay. Their high auction values highlight rarity and enduring appeal, with restitution adding historical layers.
1
1913 Die kleine Stadt
2018 SOLD for $ 24.6M by Sotheby's
The nervous lines in the bodies of Schiele's young mistresses announce their future decay but they remain alive. This anguished artist must find a means for expressing the mortality. From 1912 he uses as another theme the small town of Krumau in southern Bohemia where his mother was born.
Krumau is a medieval town incompatible with the modernist and socially advanced trends of the artist. It is his Tote Stadt, even more morbid in his memories and imagination, with no attempt for an accurate topographical representation. Autumn adds its decrepitude.
The panorama is seen from above, an angle of view that Schiele liked also in his portraits. The houses are in close ranks, schematized like on an engraving of the Renaissance. Much later, this vestige of ancient times will be listed in the World Heritage list of the UNESCO. The river that flows in the foreground or away is the Moldau.
Die kleine Stadt II, oil and black crayon on canvas 90 x 90 cm painted bt Egon Schiele, was sold for $ 24.6M from a lower estimate of $ 12M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2018, lot 19.
Painted in 1913, this opus also titled Dämmernde Stadt (city in twilight) is made in a restrained palette of rich dark tones with a few lit windows. It is one of the earliest paintings in the expressionist series of Krumau townscapes. A square format for the landscapes had been previously practiced by Klimt.
Some relation with the neo-Gothic art of his time may be considered.
Krumau is a medieval town incompatible with the modernist and socially advanced trends of the artist. It is his Tote Stadt, even more morbid in his memories and imagination, with no attempt for an accurate topographical representation. Autumn adds its decrepitude.
The panorama is seen from above, an angle of view that Schiele liked also in his portraits. The houses are in close ranks, schematized like on an engraving of the Renaissance. Much later, this vestige of ancient times will be listed in the World Heritage list of the UNESCO. The river that flows in the foreground or away is the Moldau.
Die kleine Stadt II, oil and black crayon on canvas 90 x 90 cm painted bt Egon Schiele, was sold for $ 24.6M from a lower estimate of $ 12M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2018, lot 19.
Painted in 1913, this opus also titled Dämmernde Stadt (city in twilight) is made in a restrained palette of rich dark tones with a few lit windows. It is one of the earliest paintings in the expressionist series of Krumau townscapes. A square format for the landscapes had been previously practiced by Klimt.
Some relation with the neo-Gothic art of his time may be considered.
2
1914 Vorstadt
2011 SOLD for £ 24.7M by Sotheby's
It may happen that bright splashes of color give a hope of happiness to the dreary cityscapes of Egon Schiele.
An oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm executed in 1914 was sold for £ 24.7M by Sotheby's on June 22, 2011 after a Nazi restitution case. It is titled Vorstadt II (Häuser mit bunter Wäsche). On the banks of the river, some laundry is exposed.
An oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm executed in 1914 was sold for £ 24.7M by Sotheby's on June 22, 2011 after a Nazi restitution case. It is titled Vorstadt II (Häuser mit bunter Wäsche). On the banks of the river, some laundry is exposed.
3
1915 Einzelne Häuser
2006 SOLD for $ 22.5M by Christie's
Everything goes wrong for the idealist Egon Schiele. The outbreak of war is perceived as a break with the past without an opening to the future. He goes to marry Edith but Wally violently refuses the household of three on which he was daydreaming. He is frustrated in his erotic desires and in the recognition of his self-proclaimed genius.
Egon is not apt for an active military service but is mobilized in an office position in June 1915 three days after marrying Edith. Einzelne Häuser, oil on canvas 110 x 140 cm painted in the darkest moments of this summer 1915, was sold for $ 22.5M by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 60. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
In front of an insignificant landscape structured in horizontal lines, the big house is the main character. Its gloomy texture announces an upcoming decay. It rises like a towering and outdated inquisitor in the middle of the scenery. It has already lost any trace of life.
Egon is not apt for an active military service but is mobilized in an office position in June 1915 three days after marrying Edith. Einzelne Häuser, oil on canvas 110 x 140 cm painted in the darkest moments of this summer 1915, was sold for $ 22.5M by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 60. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
In front of an insignificant landscape structured in horizontal lines, the big house is the main character. Its gloomy texture announces an upcoming decay. It rises like a towering and outdated inquisitor in the middle of the scenery. It has already lost any trace of life.
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4
1916 Krumauer Landschaft
2003 SOLD for £ 12.7M by Sotheby's
Krumauer Landschaft, subtitled Stadt und Fluss, oil, tempera and colored chalk on canvas 110 x 140 cm painted in 1916 by Egon Schiele, was sold for £ 12.7M from a lower estimate of £ 5M by Sotheby's on June 23, 2003, lot 6, after being restituted from a Nazi looting. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
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1914 Herbstsonne
2006 SOLD for £ 11.8M by Christie's
Egon Schiele was a hypersensitive artist obsessed by a presence of death within life and by the concept of an eternal vitality despite the decay. Another melancholic crisis happened in 1913, looking for where his late father could have been. The father had died nine years earlier while the boy was 14.
Schiele used to paint landscapes by memory, not by a direct observation, as it is also evidenced in his Krumau cityscapes. Herbstsonne, so titled by the artist, was not made in an autumn but in March 1914. Also its sunflowers do not turn towards the sun as they do in nature.
This oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm displays a sunset through a topless and bottomless column of sunflowers. The sun has the pale hue of autumn in a chilled banded sky. The fall is indeed a promise of wilting for sunflowers while the leaves are drying.
The melancholy suffered at that time by the artist is sufficient to appreciate that theme without referring to some prophecy of the apocalypse of Europe in the world war. The sunflower had been an anthropomorphic symbol for Schiele from his early artistic maturity. The deadly Herbstsonne was his ultimate oil painting on that theme.
Herbstsonne was considered as irremediably lost after being confiscated by the Nazis in 1942. Restituted to the heirs of its spoliated owner 64 years later, it was sold for £ 11.8M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Christie's on June 20, 2006, lot 7.
Schiele used to paint landscapes by memory, not by a direct observation, as it is also evidenced in his Krumau cityscapes. Herbstsonne, so titled by the artist, was not made in an autumn but in March 1914. Also its sunflowers do not turn towards the sun as they do in nature.
This oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm displays a sunset through a topless and bottomless column of sunflowers. The sun has the pale hue of autumn in a chilled banded sky. The fall is indeed a promise of wilting for sunflowers while the leaves are drying.
The melancholy suffered at that time by the artist is sufficient to appreciate that theme without referring to some prophecy of the apocalypse of Europe in the world war. The sunflower had been an anthropomorphic symbol for Schiele from his early artistic maturity. The deadly Herbstsonne was his ultimate oil painting on that theme.
Herbstsonne was considered as irremediably lost after being confiscated by the Nazis in 1942. Restituted to the heirs of its spoliated owner 64 years later, it was sold for £ 11.8M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Christie's on June 20, 2006, lot 7.
1915 Liebespaar
2013 SOLD for £ 7.9M by Sotheby's
The world seen by Egon Schiele is unbearable, but the young man is trying to communicate. People are ugly. He shows his own ugliness in his many self-portraits. Life is probably meaningless : the art of Schiele has no limits, nor in provocation, or in derision, or in obscenity.
I do not know if another artist went as far as Schiele to show himself so unfriendly. He does not smile. The twisting of his body creates discomfort. His eyes, straight or angled, are too incisive for his communication to enable a response.
His muse Wally is also shown as an ageless figure. However, when they met in 1911, she was only 17 years old.
Schiele was also complicated and tormented within his private life. In 1915, he announces to Wally that he wants to marry, but especially not with her. Furious, she leaves. He then executes one of his most dramatic paintings, Death and the Maiden. The bending Death presses the kneeling girl. The stature of Egon and the face of Wally are recognizable in these two characters.
A drawing in gouache, watercolor and pencil sold for £ 7.9M from a lower estimate of £ 6.5M by Sotheby's on February 5, 2013 shows a similar scene. Wally, at mid-body, is by evidence standing on her knees, embracing the belt of her standing lover. This work is clearly identified as a self-portrait. Egon looks at Wally. The eyes of the young woman are distraught.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's, featuring the three Schiele drawings listed in that sale :
I do not know if another artist went as far as Schiele to show himself so unfriendly. He does not smile. The twisting of his body creates discomfort. His eyes, straight or angled, are too incisive for his communication to enable a response.
His muse Wally is also shown as an ageless figure. However, when they met in 1911, she was only 17 years old.
Schiele was also complicated and tormented within his private life. In 1915, he announces to Wally that he wants to marry, but especially not with her. Furious, she leaves. He then executes one of his most dramatic paintings, Death and the Maiden. The bending Death presses the kneeling girl. The stature of Egon and the face of Wally are recognizable in these two characters.
A drawing in gouache, watercolor and pencil sold for £ 7.9M from a lower estimate of £ 6.5M by Sotheby's on February 5, 2013 shows a similar scene. Wally, at mid-body, is by evidence standing on her knees, embracing the belt of her standing lover. This work is clearly identified as a self-portrait. Egon looks at Wally. The eyes of the young woman are distraught.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's, featuring the three Schiele drawings listed in that sale :
1917 Selbstbildniss mit kariertem Hemd
2007 SOLD for $ 11.4M by Sotheby's
Egon Schiele would like to be the pioneer of a new art expressing the deepest of human nature that he observes without complacency up to pornography and self-derision. The self portrait is his ultimate art.
Selbstbildniss mit kariertem Hemd is an example that did not need any nudity. This gouache, watercolor and black crayon 45 x 30 cm made in 1917 was sold for $ 11.4M from a lower estimate of $ 4.5M by Sotheby's on November 7, 2007, lot 3.
The expression is an expectation, in contradiction with the head fully tilted on a shoulder as if he desired to perform some mannered absurdity from real life. The right hand is raised.
This piece has the characteristic spontaneity of a drawing without retraced lines. The checkered shirt and the skin are enhanced by bright colors. In contrast the torso is left blank.
Selbstbildniss mit kariertem Hemd is an example that did not need any nudity. This gouache, watercolor and black crayon 45 x 30 cm made in 1917 was sold for $ 11.4M from a lower estimate of $ 4.5M by Sotheby's on November 7, 2007, lot 3.
The expression is an expectation, in contradiction with the head fully tilted on a shoulder as if he desired to perform some mannered absurdity from real life. The right hand is raised.
This piece has the characteristic spontaneity of a drawing without retraced lines. The checkered shirt and the skin are enhanced by bright colors. In contrast the torso is left blank.
