Torso of a Seated Woman with Boots 1918

Egon Schiele made this drawing, "Torso of a Seated Woman with Boots," with pencil on paper. Though seemingly simple, the drawing actually says a lot about labor and class, and it challenges conventional ideas about fine art versus craft. The pencil lines, rapidly applied, create a sense of immediacy. Schiele doesn't hide his process; the sketch-like quality is part of the artwork. The model’s boots especially, hint at the material realities of the modern city and the labour implied by them. The boots are also suggestive of a fashion sensibility, a kind of nascent consumerism that was emerging at the time. Schiele's drawing has a raw, unrefined quality, challenging the traditional hierarchy that places painting above drawing, and fine art above craft. By emphasizing the act of making and the inherent qualities of the materials, Schiele invites us to reconsider these distinctions and appreciate the social and cultural significance embedded within the artwork.