Egon Schiele - The Embrace

Artist: Egon Schiele, June 1890 - October 1918
Title: The Embrace
Dimensions 98 x 169 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1917
References: Wikipaintings.org, Art.com

Egon Schiele was an Austrian expressionist artist whose style mainly expressed eroticism and anguish. His artwork was not popular for its time much like other artists of the similar genre. The portrait The Embrace displays a man and a woman in an awkward and distorted position. The colors are in warm tones and their embrace expresses complete acceptance of each other. They are both naked on a sheet and the man lays over the woman whom has long wavy flowing hair. I chose this piece for its display of raw affection and intimacy after making love.

Gustave Courbet - The Sleepers

Artist: Gustave Courbet, June 1819 - December 1877
Title: The Sleepers
Dimensions: 135 x 200 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1866
References: Wikipaintings.org, Wikipedia.org

Gustave Courbet was a French painter who was a leader in the Realist art movement. His work consisted of personal statements and beliefs of freedom to live life as one chooses.  The portrait The Sleepers displays two nude women laying in bed seemingly after making love. It expresses erotic realism without any distractions or mythological interpretations. I chose this piece because it expresses that love and intimacy can exist between any individuals, whether it is two males or two females. This piece might have been more controversial for its time than it is now, but the taboo still exists and it needs to be recognized and addressed before it can be vanquished.

Conclusion

What I Have Learned     

     I learned a lot more that I expected to learn in completing this assignment. First, I learned that there is rigorous process behind forming and completing an exhibition. The location, the gallery name, the theme, and the artwork chosen is all a complex process that requires a lot of preparation and attention to detail. The most difficult task in completing this assignment was choosing the artwork to display. It is not an easy task to find the artwork that you feel represents your vision and the message that you are attempting to display. Connecting the pieces to the theme was another difficult task because it required complete inspection and critical interpretation from each and every piece. I also learned a great amount about excellent artists. Some I had previously heard of, like Picasso and Munch, and some were completely new discoveries for me. I have a newfound appreciation for artist and their art. The artwork that I reviewed not only presents new ideas and strikes motives for change, but also evokes emotion and critical thinking from the observer.