Standing Nude Girl, Facing Left
Original title: Standing Nude Girl, Facing Left
kurzbeschreibung
A naked woman stands facing forward, her head turned to the left. This charcoal on paper is by Egon Schiele and dates to 1918, the artist's late work. The sheet measures 45 × 29.3 cm and belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Description
Placed centrally on beige-brown paper, the figure holds her arms crossed in front of her body; wavy hair falls down and partly covers her face. Black lines of varying thickness shape the body with expressive gesture. There is no background or other object, so the figure alone holds the gaze. A signature or monogram appears at the lower right.
Context
Made in 1918, the last year of Schiele's life, this sheet is devoted intensely to the female nude. At the time Schiele was gaining growing recognition and continued to develop his own expressive idiom. The drawing belongs to a series of nude studies, often executed in quick, spontaneous sessions. Today it is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which holds numerous works by Schiele.
Impact
Reduction and expressive line give the sheet an immediate intensity. The crossed arms and averted gaze make the figure appear vulnerable and pensive. The flowing lines create a dynamism that emphasizes the woman's physicality.
Technique
Charcoal on paper allows a soft yet precise line. Schiele varied the stroke thickness to model shadow and volume without using hatching. The beige-brown paper acts as a light ground that accentuates the dark contours.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)