One Implies Other: Mapping Parallels Between Egon Schiele’s Double Self-Portraiture and Heautoscopy Phenomena

Abstract This paper explores the phenomenon of heautoscopy (a form of autoscopy), or illusory multisensory self-reduplication, in relation to the art of the Viennese modernist Egon Schiele. It employs an interdisciplinary approach to studying self-perception and corporeal awareness, drawing from the fields of cognitive neuropsychiatry and the philosophy of modern art. The study explores the characteristics of heautoscopy, connecting them to severe conditions involving the loss of self-identity in psychiatric disorders, and to Schiele’s unprecedented double and triple self-portraiture. At the turn of the century, Schiele revolutionized this genre by introducing multiple selves to his canvases, interpreting this pathological theme explicitly. This paper draws on studies of anecdotal descriptions of heautoscopic experiences in autobiographical narratives and scientific literature, as well as on the work of art historians and Schiele’s biographers. The decoding of these data leads to the identification and classification of persistent shared characteristics and patterns. Drawing connections between the two phenomena, this study aims to provide a comprehensive interpretation of analogous mechanisms of delusional thinking in psychopathology and modern art, offering a new perspective upon the pathology/modernism equation debate, as well as highlighting valuable insights into cognitive neuropsychiatry and neuroaesthetics.