Despite the fact that the Austro-Hungarian empire was on its last legs (and would later be finished off by WWI), the beginning of the 20th century is regarded as a golden era for Viennese culture, with a whole host of avant garde artists active as well as Freud’s explorations in psychology in the background. Two of the most celebrated artists active at this time were Egon Schiele and his mentor Gustav Klimt, part of the radical Vienna Secession group. Schiele’s twisted, expressionist figures would go on to echo throughout the century, capturing the attention of David Bowie and providing inspiration for his Berlin era album covers. He died of Spanish Flu at the end of the war, shortly after Klimt. Today, Bio Rio are showing a documentary, Klimt & Schiele – Eros och Psyche, which focuses on this period in Vienna’s history with Schiele and Klimt as central figures, exploring the rise and fall of these artistic movements through their art. It’s in English with Swedish subtitles, and opens at 18:30.
Image: The Embrace, Elon Schiele, 1917. Taken from event page’s Facebook.
