Girl

"Girl," a lithograph created by Egon Schiele in 1918, stands as a stark and psychologically charged example of the artist's late-career graphic output. Utilizing the directness of the lithography process, this print showcases Schiele’s mastery of contour and line, transferring his characteristic raw intensity to the printing stone. The work is defined by its immediate quality, focusing intensely on the expressive outlines of the figure with minimal shading.

The subject matter, typical of Schiele, centers on the unidealized female nude. This representation is rendered with the signature angularity and expressive distortion that defined the Viennese Expressionist movement. Created in the final year of the artist’s life, this work reflects the intense focus Schiele placed on the human form, exploring themes of vulnerability, frank sexuality, and introspective isolation. His unflinching gaze challenges traditional classical portrayals, presenting the subject with a complex psychological realism characteristic of early twentieth-century modernism.

The classification of this piece as a print allowed for the greater dissemination of the artist’s challenging vision, even after his untimely death. This print is a significant representation of Austrian modernism and is held within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prints of this work remain influential in art studies today, and its status ensures its availability for educational study through public domain collections.