The artwork titled “Procession” is an oil on canvas painting created by the artist Egon Schiele in 1911. It is an exemplar of the Expressionist movement, a style characterized by its emotional intensity and bold distortion of reality to evoke personal and psychological experience. The artwork’s dimensions are 100 by 100 centimeters and falls within the genre of symbolic painting. Currently, “Procession” resides within a private collection.
This particular piece by Schiele presents a compelling visual narrative through its use of color, form, and composition. The artwork is populated by figures that are rendered with the artist’s signature angular and contorted lines. These forms appear to be intertwined, blurring the boundaries between individual entities and suggesting a sense of unity or collective movement.
The tonal palette is dominated by earthy, muted colors that generate a somber and intense emotional response. The symbolic nature of the painting is evident through the prominent positioning of a clerical figure and another figure who appears to be in a state of despair or exhaustion. The faces of the characters convey intense emotion, aligning with the Expressionist goal to represent inner feelings rather than external realities.
The formal elements of the painting, such as the jagged, overlapping shapes and the stark contrasts of light and dark, create a dynamic and somewhat disquieting atmosphere. “Procession” is emblematic of Schiele’s preoccupation with the human condition and the expressive potential of the human body, making it a significant work within his oeuvre and the broader context of Expressionism.
