Mother and Child (Madonna) 1908

Egon Schiele rendered this painting, titled "Mother and Child," in oil on canvas. The work is dominated by a warm palette of reds and oranges, which creates an intimate and somewhat unsettling atmosphere. The figures of the mother and child are intertwined, almost melded together through soft brushstrokes and blurred outlines. Schiele’s formal choices evoke complex tensions that both emphasize the bond between mother and child, but also destabilizes traditional representations of motherhood, touching on themes of existential angst and the fragmented self. The large eyes of both figures draw the viewer in, reflecting an almost raw emotional vulnerability. This expressionistic approach transforms the conventional Madonna and Child into a meditation on the intensity and ambiguity of human connection. The figures are set against an ambiguous background, further isolating them within the frame and heightening the sense of emotional intensity, which is so characteristic of Schiele’s oeuvre.