The Leopold Museum in the Museumsquartier possesses the largest collection of works by Viennese expressionist Egon Schiele. Here, guests are offered a crash course on topical issues of 20th art, such as the line between art and pornography, the relevance of the artist’s personality for the interpretation of their works, and the discussion of the objective and subjective value of art.
When talking about the works of Egon Schiele, the adjective ‘scandalous’ is frequently used, even though the history of art—let alone the sphere of modern media—is filled with images of naked bodies. However, it is the works of Schiele that are censored even today.
We’ll only dwell on the artist’s biographical facts that have left a clear trace in his works. We’ll pay the most attention to the interpretation principles relevant to twentieth-century art. We’ll investigate the line between pornography and art, and discuss the boundaries of self-expression and the influence of ‘problematic’ works of art on society as a whole.
To receive commentary on the controversial works, we will address the principles of art therapy, the works of Sigmund Freud, and one of the Scheherazade’s tales. This tour will appeal to those who are interested in Viennese Art Nouveau and those who are looking for an approach to understanding twentieth-century art.