← Egon Schiele

Portrait of Arthur Roessler

Original title: Portrait of Arthur Roessler

Artist

Egon Schiele

Date

1914

Medium

Drypoint

Dimensions

plate: 9-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches (23.7 x 32 cm) sheet: 13-3/4 x 19-3/4 inches (35 x 50 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982

kurzbeschreibung

Egon Schiele made this drypoint of the art critic Arthur Roessler in 1914. Roessler is shown in profile with one hand raised to his face. The print belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Description

A hand rests before the face of a man seen in profile. The fingers are clearly defined, the palm slightly open. A shirt is visible at the shoulder. The background stays flat and without detail. Side light casts shadows and defines the contours of hand and face.

Context

Arthur Roessler, an Austrian art critic, supported Schiele. Schiele portrayed him several times; this etching from 1914 falls in a period of intense production. It shows how Schiele was then engaging with the drypoint technique.

Impact

The striking hand position and the side lighting give the print a direct, intense effect. The focus on essentials and the precise linework create an intimate, concentrated mood.

Technique

In drypoint, lines are scratched directly into the printing plate. This produces the typical velvety line character. The plate measures 23.7 x 32 cm, the sheet 35 x 50 cm.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)