This bronze sculpture is based on a 1917 self-portrait by Egon Schiele (1890–1918), one of the central figures of Austrian Expressionism. Known for his raw and psychologically charged depictions of the human figure, Schiele frequently used self-portraiture as a means of exploring identity, sexuality, and the body’s expressive potential.

The present work is a later bronze cast, produced in 1980 by the Collector’s Club in Vienna as part of a numbered edition. It translates Schiele’s distinctive linear style into three dimensions, retaining the angularity and tension characteristic of his drawings. The sculptural form emphasizes the artist’s fragmented and contorted treatment of the body, a hallmark of his late works.

While Schiele himself did not produce sculptures during his lifetime, posthumous editions such as this reflect the enduring influence of his graphic oeuvre and its adaptability across media. The edition is documented in Jane Kallir’s catalogue raisonné (Egon Schiele: The Complete Works, 1990, p. 651).

This work should be understood as a 20th-century sculptural interpretation of Schiele’s original composition, bridging early modernist expression with later efforts to materialize his imagery in bronze.

Published by the Collector’s Club, Vienna, 1980