Seated Woman in Chemise 1914

Egon Schiele made this drawing, 'Seated Woman in Chemise', with pencil on paper, sometime around the turn of the century in Vienna. Schiele was part of the Austrian Expressionist movement, a moment in art that placed special emphasis on the artist's subjective feelings. His work challenged the conservative art establishment, and his nudes, often raw and explicitly sexual, were considered scandalous at the time. Schiele found himself at odds with the stuffy morals of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, even facing jail time for ‘immorality'. In 'Seated Woman in Chemise', Schiele subverts traditional male views of women in art. The woman is not an idealized figure, but a real person with an imperfect body. She is not posed for the viewer's gaze, but seems self-absorbed, lost in her own thoughts. To fully understand Schiele’s rebellious vision, you might explore Vienna’s Secession movement, the writings of Freud, and the social history of early 20th-century Europe. Only then can we truly appreciate how Schiele used his art to question the norms of his time.