Egon Schiele Constructing An Artistic Identity and the Pathological Body PDF

Preview

Summary

Egon Schiele Constructing an Artistic Iden- tity and the Pathological Body by H.A. Wells 2019 Artists and the construction of their identity have a long and Robert Jensen believed that for most of his career he was history in making a name or brand for themselves and their art- “marketing identity.”...

Description

Accelerat ing t he world's research.

Egon Schiele Constructing An Artistic Identity and the Pathological Body Hope Wells

Related papers

Download a PDF Pack of t he best relat ed papers 

'T he Pat hological Body: Modernist St rat egising in Egon Schiele's Self-Port rait ure', Oxford Art … Gemma Blackshaw Const ruct ing t he Viennese Modern Body: Art , Hyst eria, and t he Puppet (Rout ledge, 2017; 2020). Nat han J T impano Viennese Act ionism and t he Tradit ion of Aust rian Expressionism (Венская акционистская группа и т… Daniel Bulat ov

Egon Schiele Constructing an Artistic Identity and the Pathological Body by H.A. Wells 2019

Artists and the construction of their identity have a long

and Robert Jensen believed that for most of his career he was

history in making a name or brand for themselves and their art-

“marketing identity.” On the other hand, I would argue he was also

work. Austria, at the turn of the century was attempting to become

expressing the sexual and gender role crisis that were developing at

the next a hub of artistic activity while simultaneously was also

the turn of the century due the government’s redefinition of gen-

experiencing a social crisis in gender social roles and obligations

der role between the stratified classes within society through the

to family and community. In the modern era those who collected

new psychiatric hysteria body. The marketing tools of choice for

the artwork became equally as important as the artist for promot-

Schiele were wielded through a homosocial group, artistic identity,

ing the most current avant-garde movement. The taste of the art

and personality, erotic imagery, recognizable subject, embracing

collector was a driving force on the artist to produce products that

new ideas and undying dedication to depicting the less pleasant

entice and ensnare the art collector to buy the art through subject

aspects of humanity in Austria (21). He cultivated a social network

and style. Mentoring under avant-garde master artists, great mar-

of a tight-knit group of men that assisted each other to further

keting tools came intuitively to some artistic practitioners. Manet’s

personal pursuits and careers, which is important in understanding

successful marketing gambits were recognizable visual imagery

Schiele’s artistic development and the marketing of his artwork.

of classical compositions with de-emphasized symbolic overtones

To initialize and nurture these relationships, Schiele knew that he

in everyday scenes and intense public reactions. Rallied support-

needed an enticing artistic public personality. His art and iden-

ers became incredibly important to the defense of the artist and

tity, for the most part, were constructed in reaction to the effect of

his artwork (Schroeder 2000, 41-43). Vincent van Gogh, on the

Vienna’s social climate and culture in the 1890’s. Upon leaving the

other hand, embraced new ideas and had devotion to the expres-

academy, in 1909, Schiele’s exploration of his own adolescent age

sive quality of the paint and the artist’s thoughts, his perception

group’s sexuality fulfilled the shift in taste for an eroticized femme

of his world. Van Gogh had a large artistic impact on Schiele and

fragile; whereas, previously the prevailing taste was the sexualized

his art with examples like van Gogh’s L’Arlésienne compared to

femme fatale. These men saw an opportunity to link their portraits

Schiele’s Portrait of Gertude (Krapf-Weiler, 1994, 40). I argue that Egon Schiele had an intuitive attraction to the dandy persona in the body of an artistically talented boy much younger than his contemporaries, who marketed his artwork and himself during his

Figure 1 Egon Schiele, Self-Portraits, Fac- to the study of pathology in hysteria and diseased bodies, which ing Right, 1907. Oil on cardboard. 12 ¾” provided influence and a visual resource for creating expressive x 12 ¼ “. New York:Private Collection, Courtesy of Galerie St. Etienne. and gestural figures in pursuit of an eccentric artistic identity to further their popularity within the Austrian art community.

sexually heightened pubertal development stage causing contro-

Egon Schiele was born into the Viennese middle-class

versy over the explicit sexual nature of his portraits and self-por-

culture that valued masculine privilege, and the ability to elevate

traits. His work shows evidence of being influenced by Klimt, who

social and economic class of the family through hard work and the

was a direct mentor and Rodin because of his continuous drawing

male children’s education. Adolf Schiele was the stationmaster in

technique. Schiele’s oeuvre is important visual evidence of sexual

Tulln (located just outside of Vienna.), who fundamentally exer-

development incorporated into the visual imagery of the new

cised his power of being the head of the household (Kallir 1990,

medical development of psychology, which Steven Beller,

31).

Adolf died in 1905, after suffering from syphilis but before he

Ludwig Karl Strauch, Schiele’s art teachers from Klosterneuburg

died in one of his fits of insanity, he burned the family fortune of

Realgymnasium supported and educated him in drawing and paint

railway stocks (Kallir 1990, 34). His death did not only change the

ing over the course of 1905. At one point, he even attempted to or-

family’s social status from the middle class to working class; it dis-

ganize a small group of patrons and friends from the Weiss Tavern

rupted Egon’s education and the development of his adult identity

to form a movement group and an exhibition which did not happen

(Kallir 1990, 42). J. Robert Wegs explains the cultural and social

(Kallir 35). Even at this tender age, it appears that Schiele was

change that most middle-class Viennese adolescents from 1890 to

aware of the importance for a Viennese artist to form a homosocial

1938 experienced a shift in the definition of childhood. In 1874,

group to further artistic pursuits. In 1906, Egon’s Uncle Czihac-

the New Child Labour Laws caused European societies to have a

zek following the predominant conservative attitude attempted to

more Social Democratic attitude towards social welfare: women,

complete Schiele’s education, which did not include considering

family, and youth (Alaimo 1991, 598). Like any other types of

art studies. After extensive family strife, Schiele and his mother

major cultural changing event, it takes time for the citizens to ac-

began the application process for admittance into the Vienna’s

cept it and “Wegs points out that economic modernization came

Academy of Fine Arts. It was in the first stage of presenting his in-

more slowly and gradually to Austria than to Western Europe

terview portfolio that Strauch had to intercede on his protégé’s be-

(Alaimo 600).” The developing youths would have experienced

half because Christian Griepenkerl refused the first time to accept

a wide range of expectations and family values all depending on

the portfolio based on the dandy image in his self-portrait (Kallir

“family, strata, gender, economic conditions, neighborhood, peer

38). Schiele was concerned with looking good in his own original

groups, schools, a Social Democratic subculture, and the time pe-

style of clothing while he took in the night-life of Vienna. This

riod (qtd. In Alaimo 599). There still was a predominant conserva-

was a truthful observation of his “arty” appearance and somewhat

tive attitude that permeated throughout Austria. The ageing regime

mannered hand gestures (Kallir 41). However, Schiele at the age of

assumed that all youths desired rapid and radical changes; there-

sixteen passed the second stage of difficult testing, which made his

fore, encouraged families to teach the children that teachers and

uncle proud upon his acceptance into the academy (Kallir 38).

fathers were not to be contradicted and to keep their youths inactive for as long as possible (Kallir 1990, 42). Jane Kallir notes that at this time a duality was developing in young Schiele, he was: “affected, yet sincere; humble, yet self-confident; shy, yet assertive.

By 1908, his artistic ability had grown beyond the academy’s curriculum and he began forming his own modes of expression. In the spring, Schiele had attended the Klimtgruppe produc-

As he himself would write, “I am the oldest of the noble and the humblest of the humble. I am human-I love death and I love life.” Embodying such contradictions was not only natural to Schiele, it was the core of his art (Kallir 1990, 41).” It is possible that part of this natural duality was a reaction to his social climate.

tion, the “Kunstschau” which emphasized the decorative traditions of Weiner Werkstätte and the School of Applied Arts (Kallir 45). Some of the artists that participated were, Carlo Otto Czeschka and

Berthold Löffler and their star pupil, Oskar Kokoschka (Kallir

played three portraits completed in his Jugendstil style: Anton Pe-

45). Gustav Klimt also had exhibited sixteen recent paintings in

schka, Hans Massmann and his sister Gertrude (figure 3) (Whitford

a separate room (Kallir 45). After this exhibition, Schiele’s work

48). Shortly after this exhibition, Schiele’s work would go through

began to paraphrase Klimt’s paintings with a hint of influence

another change. It appears that his “Nude Self-Portrait” dated

from Kokoschka’s illustrations (Kallir 48). Schiele’s Daneä is an

1909 still had its recognition to Klimt with its unusual format,

excellent example (figure 2) where he intuitively applies Klimt’s

flatness and linear decoration (Whitford 51). However, Schiele’s

Figure 2 Egon Schiele, Danaë , 1909. Oil and metallic paint on canvas, 80 x 125.4 tension between figure and void but like Kokoschka, he abstracted cm. Private collection. the figure to allow it to merge with the plane (Kallir 48). It was not

self-assured nudity and seductive facial expression seem to be a creation of Egon’s own style (figure 4). Frank Whitford gives a

only Klimt’s painting style that he emulated, it was the success-

poetic description of the painting: “Indeed, the ornate Jugendstill

ful “monk-artist” persona, who had sacrificed worldly pleasures

shift is falling from Schiele’s body as though the artist were emerg-

to attain his exulted status (Kallir 48). Jane Kallir, in this context,

ing from a chrysalis. The metaphor is apposite for, by shuffling

was more referring to Klimt’s outward appearance than his isolated

off this hard, decorative skin, Schiele is entering a new and more

and introvert part of his artistic identity. Kallir lists that Schiele had

mature phase of his creative life (Whitford 51).”

acquired a white caftan, adopted the same strong Viennese dialect,

Schiele was entering his more mature phase of art with the

and reformulated his signature in a similar block style and collect-

more erotic subject matter. He was nineteen-year-old going on to

ed woodcuts and exotic trinkets (48). He may have emulated some

twenty. Even after he left the academy, Egon was still reliant on his

of Klimt’s iconic traits for a while but Klimt’s philosophy of artist

uncle for financial support for supplies, spending money, an apart-

hood was what truly resonated with him. (Kallir 48).

ment and the painting studio that his uncle rented not far from his home; even though, he didn’t approve of Schiele’s lifestyle (Whit-

At the age of nineteen in 1909, Schiele and some friends

ford 45). Kallir categorized Schiele at this point in his life as his

formed the Nuekunstgruppe (New Art Group) which gave a letter

“Post-adolescent” period characterized as the adult world’s watch-

of protest to Griepenkerl, which prompted them to withdraw from

fulness of Vienna’s youths, which Egon used to his advantage to

the academy, just like Klimt and his friends with the formation of

depict adolescent sexual angst of the 1910’s (69). Some scholars

Künstlerhaus, only twelve years earlier (Kallir 50). To start his

have doubts regarding Schiele’s erotic work being, an explora-

professional independence, Klimt invited Schiele to participate in the second “Kunstschau”, which exhibited a wide range of practitioners from all over Europe: Belgium’s Jan Toorop and Khnopff, Figure 3 Egon Schiele, Portrait of GerHenri Matisse, Edvard Munch, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, trude Schiele, 1909. Oil on canvas, 139.5 x 140.5 cm. Salzburg: Dr. Rudolf Leopold and Oskar Kokoschka to name a few (Whitford 48). Egon disCollection 136.`

Figure 4 Egon Schiele, Self-Portrait tion of adolescent issues. Gerald N. Izenberg, Ph.D. (in history) Nude, 1909, Oil on canvas, 110 x 35.5 cm, London: Marlborough Fine Art Ltd. “argued that what we think of today as characteristics issues of adolescence emerged with European Romanticism at the end of the eighteenth century. The adolescence that Schiele wrestled with at the end of the nineteenth century was complicated by a new

historical development that engulfed European middle-class males:

Child-Woman and Hysteria 77). His own specific experiences of

a crisis of masculine identity (figure 5) (Izenberg 464).” However,

his adolescence and his memories of them were practically insepa-

as Wegs pointed out, Austria’s social reform was moving at a slow

rable, which could explain his instinctual nature to favour younger

er pace than the rest of Europe (Alaimo 600). Part of Izenberg’s

models and his scrutinizing style that did not appear to differentiate

argument of the existence of the masculine crisis in the imagery

between male or female (figure 6) (Kallir 72). Moreover, Schiele

and style of Egon Schiele’s female nudes and self-portraits is due

believed that those who painted the figure were the greatest paint-

to the subtle rise of the women’s movement that had “an impact on

ers (ptd. In Werkner, The Child-Woman and Hysteria 51). To live

many men, often far out of proportion to its actual size and politi-

up to that expectation Schiele generally produced five to six pieces

cal power in Europe (Izenberg 464).” Kathleen Alaimo outlines

of artwork per day, models were expensive; however, adolescents

that despite the shifts in the socio-economic and occupational

were everywhere. Following the fin-de-siècle and Klimt’s notion

structures in Vienna that “Wegs argues that continuity prevailed,

that figures, nudes or portraits were the representation of a state

especially in limiting the occupational choices of girls. It appears

of mind, the Austrian expressionists shifted the idea in their art so

that boys benefited more than the girls, due to changes in occupa-

that the body became a medium for representing inner experience

tional structures and that upper strata working class youth enjoyed

in a most dramatic way (Werkner, The Child-Woman and Hysteria

greater advantages than lower strata youth. Few girls attended

51). The Symbolists and the Secessionists used the mythologized

vocational schools after primary school because most parents

femme fatale; the expressionists used the mythologized femme

were unwilling to invest in a daughter’s future career (600).” The

fragile; however, Schiele’s youths in his work have a realistic qual-

conservative regime would have over-powered a subtle women’s

ity about them (Werkner, The Child-Woman and Hysteria 72). In

movement in Austria. It would appear in consideration of his equal

order to understand the context of Schiele’s work from 1910 to

treatment and vision of both his self-portraits (male body) and his

1911, Patrick Werkner lists the possible connotations: “youth as a

models (female body), he was more likely expressing the shared

specific quality, innocence, androgyny, and creativity, the breaking

Figure 5 Standing Nude Boy, 1910. Black experience of sexual awareness among Vienna’s adolescents than chalk, watercolour, white body colour. 44.7 x 23 cm. Museum of Fine Art, Budathe masculine crisis (male domination over objectified women) that pest was taking place in Europe at large (Werkner, The Child-Woman and Hysteria 77).

of rules in art and morals, “Beautiful” hysteric symptoms and all Figure 6 Black-Haired Nude Girl, Stand- kinds of sexual undertones (73). Schiele’s models were not faceing, 1910. Watercolour and pencil with less nor were they represented as passive objectified sexual objects; white highlighting, 54.3 x 30.7 cm, Vienna: Graphische Sammlung Albertina, they were depicted as gazing back confidently back at the viewer Kallir D 575. (Werkner, The Child-Woman and Hysteria 77).

At this point, Schiele is only a few years old than most of his models, including his sister Gertrude, who was one of his first models in this new exploration of sexuality (Werkner, The

On April 13, Schiele was incarcerated for accusations of seduction, abduction and public immorality by exposing minors to

pornography, which was his own drawing that hung in his studio

other part was sharing Klimt’s own group. These patrons and

(Kallir 127). There wasn’t any impartial account of the events be-

supporters provided connections to further the distribution of his

cause of the loss of the official records including Authur Rossler’s

erotic art but they also supplied access to visual resources for

constant revised book that represented the events as exurbs from

the development of his expressive body image. Klimt introduced

Schiele’s diary (Kallir 128). Kallir, took great care examining the

Schiele to Josef Hoffmann a successful architect and a member of

events leading up to the imprisonment to clearly provide evidence

the Künstlerhaus, who provided him with his first job designing

that Schiele was neither a pervert nor a pornographer1. “Schiele’s

men’s cloth ing, women’s shoes and postcards for Wiener Werk-

u...