Seated Woman in Corset and Boots 1918

Egon Schiele made this drawing of a woman in corset and boots sometime before he died in 1918, using just ink on paper. You can see the line, right? So tense, raw, and immediate. It's like he’s feeling his way around the form, not trying to be too precise, but really trying to find something essential. I can imagine him, in his studio, quickly trying to capture the sitter's pose and expression. What was he thinking when he made it? Was he interested in the person or their form? The hands are so expressive. The ink looks thin, but they feel thick with feeling, as if the body itself is talking. And the lines feel almost broken, uncertain, but full of energy. You can see some similar lines and forms in the work of other expressionists like Kirchner, but Schiele’s lines seem more vulnerable. It’s like artists are all in this ongoing conversation. They are constantly picking up on each other’s ideas, pushing them, and responding in their own way. The ambiguity of the line allows the viewer to bring their own feelings and meaning to the image.