Self-Portrait with Splayed Fingers (1911)
Technique: Giclée quality print
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The painting displays the gaunt figure of a man, presumably the artist himself, in a dynamic and rather contorted pose. The subject's body is elongated and emaciated, with skin tones of yellow, green, and reddish-brown that suggest a combination of vitality and decay. The man's left hand is brought near his face, fingers splayed in a dramatic gesture that draws attention to both the hand and the facial expression. His face is turned upwards, eyes closed as if in pain or ecstasy, and his mouth slightly open. The lower portion of his body is less defined, giving way to rough, sketch-like lines that suggest the form rather than detailing it. The background is minimalistic, a raw sienna that does not distract from the starkness of the figure.
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Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century. His work is noted for its intensity and its raw sexuality, and the many self-portraits the artist produced, including nude self-portraits. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele's paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism.