79. Self-portrait with bare shoulder

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79. Self-portrait with bare shoulder

Egon Schiele

1890, Tulln, Austria - 1918, Viena

Estimate:

EUR 250 - 450

Sold

EUR 400

cromolitografie, 42.5 x 33.5 cm, signed at the bottom right, under the frame, in black, "EGON SCHIELE"; numbered at the bottom left, under the frame, in pencil, "40/200"

Austrian expressionist painter, whose work is recognizable by its tumult and intensity, Egon Schiele often focused his attention on his own face (or even body), so his figure is known to us from the numerous self-portraits he created. Contorted figures and expressive lines characterize his entire creation. Schiele is, as mentioned, one of the first representatives of expressionism, mentored by Gustav Klimt himself. The initial version of this work was made using oil on wood technique and dates back to 1912. Egon Schiele innovates and uses his creative breath to propose a new way of portraying portraits. Therefore, we are not dealing with only the bust, or just the face; but contrary to expectations, the artist proposes this amorphous structure which paves its own way in representing the human being. His self-portraits were not limited to only his face; the painter often portrayed his own naked body, thus highlighting the connection with his own being. A fusion of styles and feelings dominates these works dedicated to his personality. The expressiveness of the face betrays surprise and is also apparent at the joint with the scream. We now observe an individual separated from himself, who divides his ego, whose self as an entity is no longer a subject of interest but a crisis of the entire body; but also the head turned in semi-profile and the look that captures the viewer's attention. Earth tones, predominantly browns; highly expressive brushwork, consistent with the proposed character's psychology, highlight the anatomical examination, sometimes critical, of the human condition in general.

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