Blick in die Wohnung von Leopold und Marie Czihaczek 1907

Egon Schiele made "A Look into the Apartment of Leopold and Marie Czihaczek" with oil on canvas; you can see how the colours seem to be fighting each other, all those greys and browns wrestling with the red curtains, which is great. There’s a definite tension in the materiality. The paint isn't too thick, but it's present, giving everything a kind of filmy appearance. I love the way Schiele uses these greys and browns to create depth and shadow, making the space feel both inviting and claustrophobic. And then that splash of red from the curtains—it's like a jolt of energy. Notice how the brushstrokes around the window are loose and gestural, almost frantic, in contrast to the more controlled strokes elsewhere. It's like the room itself is breathing, expanding and contracting. This tension, you can see it throughout his work, particularly in his portraits, where he really captures the psychological intensity of his subjects. He's got a bit of that same anxious energy as Munch or Kirchner. It all feels very modern, very now, even though it was painted over a hundred years ago.