Egon SchieleAustrian, 1890–1918Die Umarmung
May one see it?
Unknown: the museum keeps its counsel
Belvedere
Vienna, Austria
The owner is known. Whether it is on view today, the museum does not say, and we were not trained to guess.
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
In the museum's own words — in German
Zeit seines Lebens ist Schiele ein Bürgerschreck. Er provoziert ununterbrochen: mit verstörenden Darstellungen des menschlichen Körpers und vor allem mit der expliziten, kompromisslosen Erotik in seinen Werken. Im Jahr vor seinem Tod untersucht der Maler einmal mehr das ewige Rätsel um die Macht erotischer Anziehung. Mann und Frau sind ganz ineinander versunken. Der knittrige Stoff unterstreicht die Intensität dieser Begegnung. Daneben wirkt das Paar seltsam verkrampft, die Umarmung, der es sich hingibt, gewinnt deshalb den Anschein von rührender Hilflosigkeit. In diesem, während einer persönlichen Krise gemalten Bild spiegelt sich Schieles Untergangsstimmung – auch durch die harten Konturen und den kräftigen Pinselstrich.
Belvedere
Particulars
In the catalog
Sources
- Belvedere: the museum's own open data · fetched 6 days ago
- Image: Belvedere — CC BY-SA 4.0
Meanwhile, in the life of Egon Schiele
The whole life1912–1916
Success at exhibitions across Europe
In 1912–1916 Schiele took part widely and successfully in exhibitions: his work was shown in Vienna, Budapest, Munich, Prague, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Zurich, Hagen, Dresden, Berlin, Rome, Cologne, Brussels and Paris.
1915
Choosing Edith, and Wally leaves
In 1915 Schiele chose the more socially acceptable Edith, apparently expecting to continue his relationship with Wally; when he explained the situation, Wally left him at once and he never saw her again. In February 1915 he wrote to his friend Arthur Roessler that he intended to get married, advantageously, but not to Wally.
17 June 1915
Marries Edith Harms
Despite some opposition from the Harms family, Schiele and Edith were married on 17 June 1915, the anniversary of the wedding of Schiele’s parents.
28 October 1918
Edith dies of the Spanish flu
In the autumn of 1918 the Spanish flu pandemic reached Vienna; on 28 October Edith, six months pregnant, died of the disease.
28 – 31 October 1918
The last three days: a mirror and sketches of Edith
The very sick and weak Schiele was moved from the couple’s home to his in-laws’ house; for fear of contagion visitors spoke to him from afar by way of a mirror set up on the threshold between his room and the parlour; among his last visitors were his mother Marie and his sister Melanie. During the three days between Edith’s death and his own, Schiele drew a few sketches of her.
31 October 1918
Died
