The Pornographic World of Egon Schiele’s Nudes (18+)

Egon Schiele's nudes can challenge us and our preconceptions of the artistic tradition of the "nude". He didn't paint or draw idealised goddesses. He preferred to present female and male genitalia in full light. Many of the female nudes reference pornographic images and include props such as stockings typically associated with prostitution. Schiele often used prostitutes as models but he also made nudes of his sister, lovers and wife. You can't escape the palpable eroticism of his work, often truly explicit. Schiele lead a bohemian life in the early 20th century Viennese cafe culture inhabited by radical intellectuals who asked questions about sex, desire, death and the true nature of humanity. Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams had been recently published. Against this background Schiele looks to reveal the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie and the reality of the human condition. The artist produced some of the most radical depictions of the human figure created in modern times – so radical that in 1912 he was imprisoned for two months for exhibiting his ‘offensive’ nudes. Below you will find the gallery of some of hundreds of nudes he created in his short life. And don't forget to visit our free app today, DailyArt (iOS/Android) where you will find another piece created by Schiele.

1. Kneeling Girl, Resting on Both Elbows, 1917

[caption id="attachment_1235" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Kneeling Girl, Resting on Both Elbows, 1917, Leopold Museum[/caption]

Standing Nude in Red Jacket, 1913

[caption id="attachment_1236" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Standing Nude in Red Jacket, 1913, private collection[/caption]

3. Black-Haired Nude Girl Standing, 1910

[caption id="attachment_1237" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon-Schiele, Black-Haired Nude Girl Standing, 1910, Courtauld Gallery[/caption]

4. Reclining Female Nude with Legs Spread Apart, 1914

[caption id="attachment_1238" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Reclining Female Nude with Legs Spread Apart, 1914, Albertina, Vienna[/caption]

5. Seated Female Nude with Black Stockings, 1910

[caption id="attachment_1239" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Seated Female Nude with Black Stockings, 1910, private collection[/caption]

6. Blonde Nude Model Sitting on Brownish-Blue Cloth, 1912

[caption id="attachment_1240" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Blonde Nude Model Sitting on Brownish-Blue Cloth, 1912, Albertina, Vienna[/caption]

7. Two Girls Lying Entwined, 1915

[caption id="attachment_1241" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Two Girls Lying Entwined, 1915, Albertina, Vienna[/caption]

8. Kneeling Semi-Nude, 1917

[caption id="attachment_1242" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Kneeling Semi-Nude, 1917, private collection[/caption]

9. Sitting Female Nude with Yellow Blanket

[caption id="attachment_1243" align="aligncenter" width="613"] Egon Schiele, Sitting Female Nude with Yellow Blanket, 1910, private collection[/caption]

10. Girl with the Green Stockings, 1916

[caption id="attachment_1244" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Girl with the Green Stockings, 1916, private collection[/caption]

11. Crouching female nude with bended head, 1918

[caption id="attachment_1245" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Crouching female nude with bended head, 1918, private collection[/caption]

12. Red-Head Girl in Black Dress with Spreaded Legs, 1910

[caption id="attachment_1246" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Red-Head Girl in Black Dress with Spreaded Legs, 1910, Leopold Museum[/caption]

13. Crouching Woman with Green Kerchief, 1914

[caption id="attachment_1247" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Crouching Woman with Green Kerchief, 1914, Leopold Museum[/caption]

14. Two Girls Embracing (Two Friends), 1915

[caption id="attachment_1248" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Two Girls Embracing (Two Friends), 1915, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest[/caption]

15. Lying Women, 1917

[caption id="attachment_1249" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egon Schiele, Lying Women, 1917, Leopold Museum[/caption]