Egon Schiele was directly influenced by Gustav Klimt, but broke with the elegance of Art Nouveau and developed his own characteristic style. Although Klimt's influence is sometimes apparent, the distorted figures, emotional intensity, and hard edges and angles set Schiele's art apart and provide a new psychological dimension. As his choice of motifs might suggest, Schiele was not without controversy during his active years. In 1912, his raw style of figurative painting landed him in legal trouble, and he was arrested with accusations of displaying "obscene" drawings. He spent 24 days in jail, and continued to paint with even more emotional intensity after his release. But as his career and artistry were reaching new heights, it was tragically cut short at 28 years old, when the Spanish flu claimed his life in 1918, just three days after losing his pregnant wife.