"Hindering the artist is a crime," wrote Egon Schiele (1890-1918) while in prison for disseminating immoral drawings. Throughout his work sounded notes of defiance, provocation, and rebellion. Schiele's favourite subjects were female nudes and self-portraits, and he worked at his art with furious commitment, though it was not till shortly before his premature death that he began to win real recognition. Today he is seen as one of the most important of the Austrian artists to come after Klimt. This study examines Schiele's life and work via his major oil paintings and erotic drawings.