Bending Woman With Head Bowed And Crossed Hands 1918

This drawing was made by Egon Schiele, likely in Vienna, with graphite on paper. Here, the artist’s hand is paramount. The linear quality of the graphite shapes the contorted form of the bending woman, her head bowed and hands crossed in what looks like an expression of sadness, even shame. Consider how the most basic of materials—graphite and paper—are used here with such sensitivity. There is a directness to the process of drawing that makes the work feel incredibly intimate. The artist allows the materiality of the graphite to describe a full range of tonal and expressive qualities: from the sharpest contour to the softest shading. The image is formed by countless tiny marks, building to a powerful image. Schiele here makes a virtue of the starkest means, foregrounding the act of drawing. The result transcends the traditional separation of fine art from craft, reminding us that all art begins with the human hand.