Portrait of Franz Hauer
Original title: Portrait of Franz Hauer
kurzbeschreibung
Egon Schiele made this drypoint portrait of Franz Hauer in 1914. The plate measures 13 by 11 cm, the sheet 32 by 25 cm. The collector's stylized face emerges through expressive linework.
Description
A face, detailed yet rigorously drawn, takes shape from numerous lines and strokes. The features are strongly stylized and abstracted, giving the countenance an expressive, emotional charge. Large, sorrowful eyes produce a deep emotional effect. Wrinkles and structures of the face are emphasized by a dense mesh of lines.
Context
The Austrian Franz Hauer was an art collector and a patron of Egon Schiele. Schiele portrayed him several times, in oil and in graphic works. The 1914 drypoint falls in a phase when Schiele was engaging intensively with printmaking techniques. It belongs to a series of portraits Schiele made of figures from his circle.
Impact
The expressive abstraction of the facial features and the sad eyes create a profound emotional impact. Fine lines and hatching build an intense, almost nervous tension that speaks directly to the viewer. The restriction to black and white heightens the concentrated, psychological effect of the portrait.
Technique
In drypoint, lines are scratched directly into the copper plate. This produces fine, burred lines that leave a soft, velvety effect in the print. With delicate hatching Schiele modeled the facial structure precisely.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)