Egon's pregnant wife Edith died shortly after Spanish flu hit Vienna. He followed three days later, aged 28.
His painting Death and the Maiden may be one of the most emotionally charged works of early 20th-century art. Inspired by his painful breakup with longtime muse Wally Neuzil, it's a deeply personal exploration of love, loss, and mortality. The desperate embrace between two figures (one representing death, the other life), the intensity of their postures, the muted earth tones, and the jagged lines all serve to comment on the inevitability of separation—whether through personal choice or the intervention of a higher force.
Why not pay homage to Egon's intimate, tender vision on a Quite Literary t-shirt.