Egon Schiele

In 2018 the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, will host exhibitons on two of the greatest artists of the 20th century - Egon Schiele, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Both exhibitions will have the same curator, and will be held at the same time. The shows will illustrate exactly what it is that linked the two artists: line, and the use of expressive force. In Schiele's work the evolution of his unique, idiosyncratic uses of line provides a visceral element of expression that allows the viewer to trace his artistic development over the course of distinctive periods within their bodies of work. This, the catalogue of the Egon Schiele exhibition, concentrates on themes of the body and portraits, through drawings and watercolours, showcasing Schiele's incredible expressive force. The role of the line thus serves as a fascinating and illuminating point of reference and unique testament to the artist's innate and inimitable oeuvre. Egon Schiele explores the paramountcy of the line through concepts such as the ornamental line, the fragmented lines of humanity during the war years, the existential line of Expressionism, and the reconstructed line at the dawn of the First World War. Schiele relentlessly sought to formulate concrete concepts of his exploration of the figurative. The distortions, exaggerated poses, and anatomically incorrect representations of the body can be seen as a logical continuation of his artistic commitment, which was defined by breaks, shifts, and permutations. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Dieter Buchhart. The catalogue Egon Schiele comprises drawings, gouaches and paintings which have rarely or never been seen in public before. These outstanding works have been gathered from museums and private collections from all over the world and will now for the first time been presented at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.