Sitting Woman 1914

Egon Schiele made this drawing of a seated woman using watercolor and pencil. Schiele worked in Vienna during a time of great social upheaval and changing attitudes to sexuality. As part of the Austrian Expressionist movement, he wanted to portray the intensity of human emotion, and in that sense to challenge conventional ideas about art. Here, the figure is drawn in a raw and vulnerable pose. The style is deliberately unsettling, with distorted lines and a focus on the body's more awkward angles. Schiele was interested in the psychology of the human figure, so, as historians, we might consider the influence of Freud and other thinkers of the time. He sought to reveal something about the inner life of his subjects. To better understand this drawing, we can look into Vienna's cultural history, including the progressive artistic movements of the time and the changing role of women in society. It can remind us that the meaning of art is always tied to its social context.