The Procession as a Picture Puzzle and Modern Self-Expression

Schiele created this painting between May and October 1911. It reflects a both turbulent and vital creative period that saw him move between Krumau and Neulengbach and produce some of his most seminal works. This includes numerous paintings filled with a symbolism that has not been fully decrypted to this day. The “Procession” is the only work Schiele signed four times, and it was of utmost importance to him. He intended to show it at international exhibitions (Munich Secession, Sonderbund exhibition in Cologne) and repeatedly emphasized its significance.

With this painting Schiele created a picture puzzle that Ernst Ploil has discussed extensively in his writings. Its content connects elements of the esoteric with the private realm, and the resulting coded family portrait that can be interpreted as a modern form of self-expression and reflection.

Egon Schiele, The Procession, 1911
© Ernst Ploil, Wien