Egon Schiele: Portraits

Alessandra Comini has published more books and catalogues on the art and life of Austrian artist Egon Schiele than any other writer. The personal favorite of this reader has been the succinct but intensely informative and visually documented 1976 volume simply titled EGON SCHIELE, but sadly that is out of print. But those who are absorbed by the idiosyncratic work of the artist of both bizarre life and bizarre paintings may rest assured that this large volume contains not only most of the information Comini has contributed tot he world literature, but also adds the bonus of a very close examination of the Portraits. For Schiele nearly all of his paintings (with the possible exception of his gorgeously bleak landscapes) were portraits, whether named as such or no. But Schiele's eye was focused on the raw psyche Freud was unveiling and his preoccupation with the sensual, the erotic, and the dark dies of this subjects is what makes them unique. Schiele was a tortured man, not only from his own strident personal issues, but also form the public response to his art. An outcast, he never stopped painting the prepubescent girls he entertained in his studio, nor did he ever tire of his self portraits, works that range from the most savagely aroused eroticism to the frightened eyes of a man at odds with the art world and indeed with the world at large. Comini suffuses this superb array of reproductions of Schiele's genius with straight forward, authoritative, non-judgmental and even adoration writing. The symbols and body gestures of his models are investigated and examined and explained. Comini is an art scholar but she writes with a style that reads like a novel. For those looking for a definitive basis of work on the art of Egon Schiele this volume is a fine starting point. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, February 06