Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele (1890-1918), Austrian Expressionist painter, born near Vienna. Although Schiele was strongly influenced by the Art Nouveau arabesques of Gustav Klimt, his own works were characterized by more angular, nervous lines. The human figure was his main subject, and his female and male nudes have a frankly erotic quality in spite of their lonely, emaciated forms. He often emphasized his subjects' hands in twisted, agonized configurations. The personal quality of his choppy brushstrokes and splotches of sharp colour made him unique among Expressionist painters, but his early death from influenza limited his influence.