Girl 1918

Egon Schiele made this drawing, called Girl, with pencil on paper. I find the best way to approach a drawing is to see where the artist began. With Schiele, I feel it was definitely the outline. There's such confidence to his lines, so bold and expressive. Look at how the lines that define the shape of the girl's body are so solid and assured, whereas the lines describing her hair are much more frantic. The effect is as if Schiele is mapping out the girl's psychological and physical state all at once. Take a moment to really look at the face. Do you notice how the features are not fully articulated? It's like Schiele wants us to fill in the gaps, to project our own emotions onto the girl. It reminds me of a little bit of Klimt, but Schiele has a raw, untamed energy. It's this tension between precision and spontaneity that makes his work so compelling. Art should be about opening up possibilities, rather than closing them down.