Schiele Off the Shelf

I've just finished re-reading and working my way through a book on Egon Schiele. Thames & Hudson's Egon Schiele: Drawing and Watercolours is a wonderful retrospective of Schiele's work in a highly readable and useable format. I knew of Schiele's tragic early death (died of Spanish Flu aged 28), but had been unaware of the circumstances of his meteoric talent. The book tracks his work well with beautifully reproduced colour plates (some for the first time ever) and a great mix of subject matter - from water colours to ink and coloured pencils. I was aware of the erotic nature of his pieces and the book certainly doesn't hold back in delivering a great sampling of his portfolios. For me, the book demonstrates how an inert talent, when nurtured and given a concentrated amount of time, can quickly grow to a unique point. Schiele's work continues to excite, inspire and fascinate a century later.

        

Burn Brightly, Pete