Woman Buttoning Her Shoes (recto); Study for Reclining Nude with Arms Raised (verso)
Original title: Woman Buttoning Her Shoes (recto); Study for Reclining Nude with Arms Raised (verso)
kurzbeschreibung
Egon Schiele made this double-sided sheet in 1915: on the front, a woman buttons her shoes; on the back, a study for a reclining nude with raised arms. The recto is charcoal on paper, the verso graphite on paper, and the sheet measures 48.3 × 31.4 cm.
Description
On the recto, a seated or kneeling woman bends over her footwear, both hands engaged. Her posture stays in motion, the lines flowing and expressive. Turn the sheet over and a reclining figure with raised arms appears, likewise in sweeping, expressive strokes. Both views make do with little: clear contours on white paper, no decorative detail.
Context
Schiele drew this sheet in 1915, during a prolific phase in which the human body and expressive line preoccupied him. That he used study sheets on both sides belongs to his usual working method. The verso was made as a preliminary study for a larger work, showing the role such sketches played in his process.
Impact
The sheet gives off an immediate, sketch-like force that brings the viewer close to the woman's intimate moment. Because almost everything is reduced to line and expression takes on a life of its own, a dense, almost nervous tension arises, characteristic of Schiele.
Technique
The recto is in charcoal on paper, which allows bold, deep-black strokes. For the verso Schiele chose graphite, whose marks are finer and lighter. Both media permit quick, spontaneous sketching and emphasize the fleeting character of the study.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)