Self Portrait with Outstretched Arms 1911

Egon Schiele made this watercolor and pencil self-portrait in 1911. Look at the confident yet vulnerable way he’s constructed himself. He’s used these expressive brown and red colors, but they aren't blended, they sit next to each other creating this dynamic energy. The paint handling here is everything: the washes are loose and watery, and the lines are wiry and nervous. Notice how the face is kind of a mess of blotchy color, with these big, wide eyes that stare right through you. Then you see the arms are outstretched, like he's trying to grab something or maybe push something away. And the clothing, those broad brushstrokes of brown and black, are like he’s thrown his clothes on. Schiele’s work reminds me of Francis Bacon, who also had a way of distorting the figure and exposing the raw nerves underneath. The interesting thing about art is that it can be both beautiful and disturbing at the same time, and Schiele totally nails that. It’s a space of ambiguity where we’re forced to confront the messy, complicated reality of being human.