Two Girls Lying Entwined 1915

Egon Schiele created "Two Girls Lying Entwined" at an unknown date, with gouache and black chalk. The composition is a whirlwind of limbs and fabrics, with the bodies closely intertwined, creating a sense of intimacy but also claustrophobia. The figures’ intense, unflinching gazes challenge traditional notions of the female nude. Schiele uses jarring, angular lines and a muted palette, punctuated by bursts of yellow and red, destabilizing established meanings of beauty and desire. The rough texture of the gouache and chalk adds to the sense of unease, highlighting the raw, almost brutal physicality of the figures. Schiele's formal choices push against the conventional, engaging with new ways of thinking about the body and representation. The drawing's unsettling beauty invites us to reconsider our assumptions about sexuality and the human form.