Egon Schiele "Four Trees"

 

     This week we return to a pure landscape.  I selected it when reading that the artist, Egon Schiele (1891 - 1918) died of the European influenza epidemic.  So I thought it related a bit to our own epidemic struggles. 
  Four Trees was painted in 1917, a year before his death.  My guess is that when creating this painting he had no idea he would fall ill in the coming year, so impending death was probably not an influence.  

  Schiele had a short but interesting life, so interesting that several film, plays have been made of parts of his story.  Many of Schiele's art was centered around the figure, mostly female and many critics have considered them grotesque, and erotic.  So he was controversial.  His personal life was disturbing enough that he was jailed for a short time for a relationship with an under age girl.  

   I am really attracted to this landscape.   Notice how it is composed of horizontal shapes and lines.  The trees are evenly spaced, with the sun centered in the direct middle of the canvas.  Even though the ground appears mostly green, the tree leaves are a deep orange/red indicating fall.   It is hard to know if this is sunrise or sunset, I think we can each decide.  

   Schiele was considered a forerunner to expressionism.   The feeling this colorful work exudes can be controversial.  The turbulent sky reminds me a little of Edvard Munch's famous work, The Scream, which was done about 20 years earlier.   The one almost naked tree may suggest the uniqueness of one individual from peers. But, sometimes, I hate over judging.  Each Art must stand on it's own merits, allowing the subjective viewer to make decisions...decisions which can change from day to day, depending on mood and personality.

    Four Trees is an oil on canvas painted in 1917.  It measures 43 inches high by 55 wide.  It is the property of the Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria. 

   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.  

Comments

  1. Char HarguthNovember 5, 2020 at 2:11 PM

    Trees are a favorite subject of mine and this painting is unusual. I wasn't familiar with the artist and had to look up his controversial work! He does have a variety. I love the wide palette and the way he fused colors together in the sky and the land. The trees are the same kind but he gave each one a different shape. The one bare tree reminds me of the two in my front yard. One always loses it's leaves first. I like the positive horizontal and vertical lines. It is a vibrant landscape, very pleasing to me. I agree, he couldn't have painted this in anticipation of death.

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