Egon Schiele

Expressionist painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918) created intensely psychological works exploring sexuality and mortality before dying at 28. Born in Tulln, Austria, he entered the Vienna Academy at 16 but left after three years, frustrated by conservative instruction. Gustav Klimt became his mentor, introducing him to models and patrons while encouraging his radical vision.

Schiele's unflinching self-portraits and nudes pushed boundaries with their angular distortions and explicit sexuality. In 1912, he was briefly imprisoned on pornography charges, and one of his drawings was publicly burned. His characteristic style featured emaciated figures, sharp contours, and raw emotional intensity. Despite controversy, he gained recognition before his death in the Spanish flu pandemic, just three days after his pregnant wife Edith. The Leopold Museum in Vienna holds the world's largest Schiele collection with over 200 works. The Albertina and Belvedere in Vienna also display significant paintings.