Schönberg Family by Richard Gerstl is an expressionist portrait rendered with bold brushstrokes and an unsettling palette, reflecting the artist's turbulent emotional state.

Richard Gerstl's 1908 painting, Schönberg Family, offers a glimpse into the artist's complex relationship with the composer Arnold Schönberg and his circle. Gerstl, an Austrian Expressionist, was known for his emotionally charged portraits and landscapes. His affair with Schönberg's wife, Mathilde, led to a period of intense artistic output, culminating in tragedy when Gerstl took his own life at the age of 25. This portrait departs from traditional family portraiture. The figures, presumably Arnold Schönberg, his wife, and their children, are rendered with bold, almost violent brushstrokes and an unsettling palette. The faces are mask-like, conveying a sense of unease and psychological tension. The background is a swirl of yellow and green, further contributing to the painting's disquieting atmosphere. Gerstl's expressive use of colour and distorted forms reflects the emotional turmoil that characterised his life and work during this period.