Chrysanthemums

• Egon Schiele (1890–1918)
• 1910
• Oil on canvas
• Leopold Museum, Vienna

Gustav Klimt acted as a mentor to Egon Schiele and encouraged him to find his own artistic individuality. Contemporaries who noticed this friendship called Schiele “Silver Klimt” and “faithful paladin.” The delicate weave of white chrysanthemums shows the influence of the decorative arts that was pursued by Vienna Secession artists in the late nineteenth century. The contrast of the black of the flat background and chrysanthemums emphasizes the reference to Japonisme and Japanese woodcuts, which were highly popular in nineteenth-century Europe.