Spitalskirche, Molding 1918

Egon Schiele made this painting of the Spitalskirche in Molding, using watercolor and pencil to give it its raw character. The colors are muted, ochre and brown mostly, but the black pencil outline makes it pop. It's like he's saying, "Here's the structure, now feel it." I am interested in the way the dark lines describe the buildings, they don't just define the shapes, they give them a kind of nervous energy. Look at the way the lines get thicker and thinner, like they're breathing. And the colors! Transparent washes that let the paper show through, giving it a ghostly, unfinished feel. That single red chimney is like a heartbeat. For me, it recalls the work of Gustav Klimt. But unlike Klimt’s opulence, Schiele’s got this raw vulnerability. It’s like he's undressing the world, showing us its bones.