Portrait of a Man (Männliches Bildnis) from The Graphic Work of Egon Schiele (Das Graphische Werk von Egon Schiele)

Portrait of a Man (Männliches Bildnis) from The Graphic Work of Egon Schiele (Das Graphische Werk von Egon Schiele) is a profound work by Egon Schiele, executed in 1914. This significant print is a drypoint, a technique which involves scratching the image directly into the copper plate using a sharp stylus. This method generates a delicate burr that captures ink, yielding the characteristic soft, velvety lines evident in this composition, perfectly suiting Schiele’s nervous and psychologically charged aesthetic. Although the image itself was completed in 1914, the work was issued as part of a major portfolio, Das Graphische Werk von Egon Schiele, which was formally published posthumously in 1922.

The Portrait of a Man exemplifies the Austrian Expressionist movement at its peak, prior to the profound societal shifts brought on by World War I. Schiele, a crucial figure in the Viennese avant-garde, consistently utilized portraiture to explore states of profound introspection and existential tension. While the sitter’s identity remains ambiguous, the subject is rendered with an arresting intensity, dominated by a penetrating gaze and minimal yet forceful outlines. Schiele’s masterful deployment of the drypoint medium allows for the stark contrast between the dense lines defining the figure and the negative space surrounding him, amplifying the sense of isolation and internal drama.

The decision to publish the collection of Schiele’s graphic prints in Das Graphische Werk six years after his early death cemented his reputation as a defining master of modern art. The portfolio, comprising six drypoints and two lithographs, showcased the breadth and consistency of his output during the critical years of 1910 to 1914. This particular piece is recognized for its high technical quality and its representation of the artist's unique capacity to infuse the two-dimensional medium with psychological depth. This important work is housed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.