Postmortem photo of Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele (1890–1918) was an Austrian painter and a leading figure of early Expressionism. Born in Tulln, Austria, he showed exceptional artistic talent from a young age and studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele developed a distinctive style characterized by bold lines, distorted forms, and intense emotional expression.

His work often explored themes of sexuality, death, and the human psyche, making him a controversial figure in his time. Despite facing legal troubles and societal criticism, he gained recognition for his raw and provocative portraits, self-portraits, and figurative compositions.

Schiele's promising career was cut short when he died of the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 at the age of 28. Despite his brief life, his work left a lasting impact on modern art, influencing generations of artists to come.