Description
The Port of Trieste is a 1907 painting by Egon Schiele: moored sailing boats seen from very close, their masts and thin rigging crossing a pale yellow sky, and the whole lower half of the picture given over to long wavy reflections in the water. Schiele was seventeen when he painted it, so it is one of his earliest oils. We paint it by hand in oils on canvas at the size you choose, and before dispatch we send you a photograph of the finished work for approval.
| Title: | The Port of Trieste |
| Other titles: | Hafen von Triest |
| Painter: | Egon Schiele (1890–1918) |
| Year: | 1907 |
| Original technique: | Oil and pencil on card |
| Style: | Expressionism (early work) |
| Our reproduction (width × height): | hand-painted oil on canvas, 6 sizes from 40 x 50 cm to 130 x 165 cm or a made-to-measure size |
The Port of Trieste – Egon Schiele
What does the painting show?
The view is taken from the quayside, close enough for the boats to fill the frame. A white hull stands at the left with a dark anchor chain hanging down its side; behind it lie a green hull and a brown one. Masts and thin rigging cross the top third of the picture against a pale yellow sky, and a quay wall closes the background. The whole lower half is water: long wavy reflections in pale green and grey that repeat the hulls as soft ribbons of colour. There are no figures anywhere: the harbour is empty.
Why do people love it?
Because it is calm and bright without being bland. The pale yellow sky and the green-grey water make a cool, quiet pairing that suits a bedroom or a hallway, while the dark chain and the black rigging lines give the eye something firm to hold on to. It reads at two distances: from across the room it is a band of boats over a band of water, and close up it breaks into the ribbon-like reflections that take up half the canvas. And it is early Schiele – a harbour instead of a figure, which surprises anyone who knows only his portraits.
Where does it sit among Schiele’s works?
Among his early landscapes and water scenes. He painted the sea, rivers and harbours wherever he travelled, and related works in our selection are Houses by the Sea, Steamer Seen from the Beach, Stein on the Danube II and Mountain by the River. The Port of Trieste dates from 1907, when he was seventeen. The full selection is in the Egon Schiele gallery, with more on his life in our article about Egon Schiele.
How is our hand-painted version made?
A painter works every canvas in oils, stroke by stroke: a hand-painted painting made for your order, not a machine print. Two things decide whether the copy works. The first is the water: the reflections are long, wavy and have to look wet, so they must be laid in while the paint is still soft, or they stiffen into stripes. The second is the rigging – thin dark lines drawn over a pale sky with a steady hand, because a shaky mast line is the first thing the eye catches. The original is oil and pencil on card; our copy is oil on canvas, because canvas stands up better to stretching, hanging and transport. When it is finished we photograph it and send you the photograph for approval, and only then does it ship. This work has not yet been painted and photographed in our workshop, so there are no workshop photographs of it on this page yet: the single photograph on the page shows the painting itself.
Which size for which wall?
This is an upright picture, so it suits a tall, narrow stretch of wall. Over a chest of drawers, a console or a hall table, 55 x 70 cm or 70 x 90 cm sit comfortably; above a sofa or in a living room, 80 x 100 cm or 100 x 125 cm; on a small bedroom wall, a stairwell landing or in a niche, 40 x 50 cm; on a big wall or in a tall room, 130 x 165 cm. Hang it with the centre at eye level, about 145–150 cm from the floor. The reflections repay a little distance, so leave two or three steps of room in front of it where you can.
Custom size, stretcher and frame
If none of our sizes suits your wall, we paint the work to your own measurement. If you choose “YES” under the Stretcher option, the canvas comes stretched on a wooden stretcher bar, ready to hang. Our 3D application is for choosing a frame only, not for showing the work on your wall. The frame is chosen separately and need not be part of the order.
Delivery and guarantee
We paint to order and deliver to sixteen countries in the European Union, among them Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Germany and France; the United Kingdom and Ireland are not currently among them. The painting arrives protectively packed and, if you chose “YES” under Stretcher, stretched on the stretcher bar; before dispatch we send you a photograph of the finished work to approve. Production time depends on the size and on the studio’s workload. Every order is covered by our Returns and Refund Policy.
Frequently asked questions
What does The Port of Trieste show?
Moored sailing boats in a harbour, seen from close to. One white hull with an anchor chain, a green and a brown hull behind it, masts and rigging against a pale yellow sky, and the lower half filled with reflections in the water. No people appear.
When did Schiele paint it?
In 1907. He was born in 1890, so he was seventeen; this is one of his earliest oil paintings, made long before the portraits he is best known for.
What colours does it live with?
Pale yellow, white, green-grey and brown, with black lines in the rigging. It sits well against white, cream or pale grey walls and beside oak or walnut furniture.
Is this a print?
No. Every canvas is painted by hand in oils by a painter, for your order. We photograph the finished work and send you the photograph before it is dispatched.
Which size should I pick if I am unsure?
40 x 50 cm and 55 x 70 cm are the safe smaller choices for a hallway or a bedroom; for a living-room wall most people are happier with 80 x 100 cm or larger, because an upright harbour view loses its depth when it is too small. If your wall is not a standard shape we also paint to your own measurement.
How do I look after it?
Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators and damp. Dust it with a dry soft brush or a clean dry cloth; never use water, detergent or furniture spray on an oil painting.
Does it work as a gift?
Yes; if you are unsure which size to choose, or you do not know the wall, there is a gift voucher and the recipient picks the size.
