Stehender Männlicher Rückenakt 1910

Egon Schiele made this watercolor of a standing male back, probably in 1910, and what strikes me is how economical yet expressive his lines are. It's like he's sketching with diluted coffee! The palette is mostly browns and tans, giving the piece an earthy, almost melancholic feel, and you can see the paper underneath. Schiele doesn't try to hide the process, instead, he embraces the imperfections and transparency of the medium. Look at the back; it's almost skeletal, with sharp angles and bony protrusions. He captures the vulnerability and the raw humanity of the subject. There's a sense of unease in the way the figure stands, slightly hunched, and it reminds me of other artists like Jenny Saville, who aren't afraid to confront the physicality of the body. Schiele invites us to see beyond the surface and to confront the complexities of human existence.