City on the Blue River 1910

Egon Schiele conjured this 'City on the Blue River' with oil on canvas, and what strikes me first is how he builds the scene with these confident strokes, like he's piecing together a memory. Look at the materiality here – it's not about hiding the process. You can practically feel the impasto; the texture jumps out, especially on those rooftops, where the paint seems almost sculpted. It's like he's building a real, touchable world, not just representing one. Notice how the color isn’t blended but laid down in blocks, making each building feel separate yet part of a whole. That stark, light building at the top center, it almost feels like a beacon, doesn't it? A focal point in this jumble of structures, each battling the darkness around it. Schiele reminds me of Kokoschka. They both share this raw, emotional intensity, but Schiele has a way of making even architecture feel vulnerable. It's like he's not just showing us a city, but also the turbulent emotions it holds.