Self-Portrait c. 1917 - 1928

This bronze self-portrait was made by Egon Schiele sometime during his short life. It's this heavy thing, yet somehow he’s managed to make it feel so fragile. I try to imagine Schiele in the studio, wrestling with the clay. What was he thinking as he pushed and prodded, trying to capture his own likeness? Did he see himself as a hero, a martyr, or just a guy trying to make sense of the world? I imagine he was trying to capture himself, as much as he could, before time ran out. Look at the surface, the way the light catches the rough texture. You can almost feel the artist's hands at work. It’s like he’s pulled himself out of the earth. The closed eyes give the sculpture an eerie effect. The effect is both unsettling and deeply moving. Like many artists, Schiele was in dialogue with those who came before him. He looked at artists like Rodin, but he was also pushing against tradition, finding his own voice, his own way of seeing. That's what art is all about, isn't it?