Kneeling Semi-Nude 1911

Egon Schiele made this watercolor and pencil drawing of a kneeling semi-nude figure at an unknown date, likely in Austria. Schiele was known for his expressionistic style. The materiality of watercolor allows for a certain looseness, and the pencil adds definition, particularly around the figure's contours. The application of the watercolor is uneven, leaving areas of the paper exposed, creating a sense of rawness and immediacy. The figure is crudely outlined, with quick and gestural marks. The color palette is muted, except for the bright red lips. It's possible to read the work as incomplete. It has the appearance of a sketch, or a preliminary study rather than a finished artwork. Schiele's focus was not on traditional notions of beauty, but on conveying raw emotion and psychological states, and this approach, combined with his chosen materials and techniques, gives the artwork its distinctive and challenging character. By combining both craft and fine art, Schiele blurs the boundary between these categories.