Egon Schiele

Born in Tulln on June 12, 1890, Egon Schiele ranks among the most significant artists of the Viennese Modernism alongside Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka. Gustav Klimt, co-founder of the Secession and an icon of Viennese Art Nouveau, was an important role model for the young Schiele and gladly promoted him, as he did other young artists. Egon Schiele's origins in the tradition of the Vienna Secession and Klimt's influence on him cannot be denied, yet he goes a step further. While Klimt's drawings are dominated by soft lines and decorative, pleasing forms, Schiele's line is more constructive and differentiated; at times sharply clear or flowing, at others violently expressive or delicate, but always virtuosic and expressive. It was not without reason that the art historian Otto Benesch, whose father was a great patron and collector of Schiele, called him one of the "most brilliant draftsmen of all time." 1) For Schiele was able to completely characterize a figure with just an outline and a few lines and strokes, not only credibly capturing the physiognomy of the subject on paper but also accurately capturing their expression and emotions. For the artist, the human figure was above all a bearer of expression. "I always believe that the greatest painters paint figures," wrote Schiele in 1911. 2) With Schiele, the outline of a figure alone serves to depict human life with all its feelings. Expression and emotionality, which do not shy away from the ugly. In the present drawing, which can be dated to around 1914 based on similar drawings, Schiele's unique style of line can be recognized. With just a few, rapid strokes—the pose of the subject with the raised arm could not have been held for too long—the artist managed to capture the essence. He emphasizes certain elements, as can be seen in the folds of the clothing or in the accessories such as the headband and necklace, while others, such as the front arm, are simply indicated by a line. Nevertheless, the lady who sat as a model for the artist here is tangible. She sits there very concentratedly with a straight back, one arm raised to her head, as if she were adjusting her headband, while the other arm seems to rest relaxed on a chair arm, the strap of her dress threatening to slip and reveal her upper body.

1) Schröder/Szeemann [ed.], Egon Schiele und seine Zeit. Österreichische Malerei und Zeichnung von 1900 bis 1930. Aus der Sammlung Leopold, Munich/Vienna 1988, p. 47 2) prev., p. 35