The Family

"The family" is a late work Schiele, which was issued in his death year 1918, among other titles at the March Secession. It shows three people sitting over and over each other. Father and mother are naked, the father sits elevated above the mother. This in turn has the toddler between her legs, which suggests the birth of a child. As a model for the child Schiele seems to have taken his nephew Toni. Compared to the two adults, this child shows a fresh expression, the eyes are big and clear, the mouth is full and red.

Striking is: all three people look in different directions. Father and mother look on, seem introverted, almost absent. Visually, these people are designed as a unit, but inside everyone seems to live in his world. This world is exhausting and challenging. The nakedness of father and mother shows vulnerability, as it is expressed in the birth of a child. Emaciated, with many wrinkles, the still young face of the father appears. Nevertheless, the slim body is also muscular. The expressionist painter has laid great stress on calves, knees, arms and almost oversized hands. This attitude expresses, despite poverty, that the father is a kind of shelter for mother and child, as his legs frame the figure of the mother.

The mother is a young woman too. Her beautiful face with brown curls is even, but her gaze leads to nothingness. Inevitably one asks oneself the question, which thoughts pass through their head. Unlike her husband, the arms hang limp down on both sides. Unlike one would expect, she does not hug the child or lay his hand on it. The child is wrapped in colorful blankets and clothes. It also sets a contrast in color to the naked skin of the parents.
The group of figures stands out plastically from a dark, almost cavernous background: this intense work of art invites you to reflect!