Self-Portrait with Physalis, 1912, by Egon Schiele (Leopold Museum, Vienna)
As the 19th century drew to a close, Vienna was a city at the heart of a vanishing world power. It was also an incubator for some of the most important figures in the arts, letters, and philosophy: Sigmund Freud, Robert Musil, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Arnold Schoenberg, to name few.
Art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine explores the ways in which fin-de-siecle Vienna became the cradle of modernity in Central Europe.
9:30–10:45 a.m. The “Cosmopolis” of a Dying Empire
The mixing of cultures, faiths, and worldviews in Vienna led to fresh insights in all spheres of knowledge—from philosophy and medicine, to the visual arts and music
11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Breaking with the Past
The Vienna Secession, from Josef Hoffman and Otto Wagner to Gustav Klimt
12:15–1:15 p.m. Lunch (a boxed lunch is provided)
1:15–2:30 p.m. Egon Schiele: the Gaze Toward the Interior
Mentored by Klimt, Schiele was one of the most popular artists and controversial artists before his early death at 28. His intense engagement with psychology is reflected in the ways he treated complex themes such as human sexuality, and particularly in his numerous self-portraits.
2:45–4 p.m. Arnold Schoenberg to Oskar Kokoschka: Anxiety and Its Expression
As the 20th century progressed, the avant-garde tendencies in visual arts, literature, and music took on a darker and more somber tone. With the advent of Nazi ideology, the art also became branded as “degenerate.”
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit
