Egon Schiele

Unveils the Austro-Hungarian artist’s relationship with colleagues and models and the passions that drove him further into his craft.–Douglas Rednour”Library Journal” (06/15/2017) Schiele’s brief, controversial career is examined with bold insights in this graphic biography… Coste doesn’t shy away from the emotional brutality of Schiele’s story. In fact, he embraces it, weaving elements of Schiele’s eerie, idiosyncratic paintings with his own artistic style. Drawing on the same Expressionist techniques that drove Schiele’s artistic passions, Coste conjures a story that beckons the reader to see the world through its subject’s eyes.– (08/21/2017) This semifictionalized biography of Austro-Hungarian painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918) focuses on his brief but controversial career during a time of upheaval in the world and the arts. A prot g of artist Gustav Klimt, Schiele dropped out of school to pursue a more provocative art form that pushed the boundaries of taste. Sexual in nature, his work featured full nudity and a colorful, expressionistic style. Such talent came with a turbulent personal life. Schiele was troubled, manipulative, and deceptive; he often sabotaged relationships and alienated loved ones. At one point, he was imprisoned for obscenity and scandalous conduct. Tragically, after finding peace and new artistic success, his life was cut short by the Spanish flu. Ultimately, he left a powerful artistic legacy. Debut French author/illustrator Coste has an affinity for Schiele’s work, its expressive style permeating every panel of this volume. The artwork is largely painted in warm, earthy, almost sepia tones evoking a feel for the time period and rendering naturalistic but exaggerated reflections of the inner emotional states of the characters. A wonderful exploration of a tragic artist. Recommended for mature fans of art, art history, biographies, and expressionism.– (10/06/2017)

Xavier Coste is a graphic novel artist and illustrator who studied graphic design in Paris. ‘Egon Schiele’ is his first book.