The Faces of Egon Schiele : Self Portraits

A lavishly produced volume of Egon Schiele’s self-portraits.
 
Egon Schiele’s contorted and eccentric figures are among the most familiar and iconic images in twentieth-century art. A good many of those figures are self-portraits. Schiele returned to himself as a subject again and again over a period of many years, recording himself in various poses and styles. When he used his own body as a model, his interest often lay not in his actual self, but more generally in the position of the individual in the changing modern world. Posing in a variety of roles, Schiele uses his face like a mask. This beautifully produced book offers a comprehensive account of this crucial, yet underappreciated, aspect of Schiele’s art.

The artistic gaze into the mirror – Egon Schiele personally and in close-up. Many artists share the desire for involvement with the self and their own appearance. In the oeuvre of Egon Schiele, self-portraits occupy a central role. Over a period of many years Schiele recorded himself in various poses and styles. This publication focuses in detail on this crucial and yet often only marginally mentioned aspect of his art. Egon Schiele’s contorted and eccentric figures are among the world’s iconic images. For many of these works he and his own body served as model. His interest often lay not in his own self, but more generally in the position of the individual in the changing modern world. As in experimental arrangements, Schiele poses in a variety of roles. In doing so he “uses” his face and wears it like a mask. The publication offers a comprehensive representation of this life theme of the artist genius.