Young Boy 1918

This drawing of a young boy, whose date is unknown, was made with pencil and watercolour by Egon Schiele. See how Schiele’s lines are so sharp, almost like he’s carving out the boy’s form. I can imagine Schiele leaning in close, intensely observing, trying to capture not just what the boy looks like, but also something of his inner world, perhaps a youthful innocence mixed with a hint of melancholy. Look at the way the watercolors pool and bleed, giving a sense of vulnerability to the subject. It's like Schiele is saying, "Here is a person, a young boy, but also a being in flux". The way Schiele renders the boy’s hands, so delicate and expressive, reminds me of how we use gesture to communicate feeling. And the colours, earthy and muted, feel so connected to the Vienna Secession movement. You can almost see Klimt's influence. Artists are always inspiring each other, even across time. Painting is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas and ways of seeing.