The Naked Truth

Vienna at the dawn of the twentieth century was a city like no other—filled with avant-garde artists and bursting with intellectual and sensual energy. But this burgeoning society was constantly at odds with the conservative and often disapproving nineteenth-century culture. This fascinating book focuses on the figures at the center of this Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, and others whose radical artistic expressions were shocking as well as ground-breaking. This generously illustrated volume examines the numerous levels on which the new culture clashed with the old, including sexuality, power, and religion. It analyzes the impact these artists’ works had on their surroundings, and places them in an historical context that illuminates the social and cultural debate they instigated. It also explores why art that seemed so provocative at its conception now represents a standard of excellence for the modern audience.