Reclining Woman with Raised Skirt

"Reclining Woman with Raised Skirt," created by Egon Schiele in 1918, is a powerful example of the artist's expressive and psychologically charged late-career drawings. Executed masterfully in charcoal on paper, the work showcases Schiele's characteristic economy of line and intense focus on the human form. The subject, a nude woman, is presented in a dynamic, vulnerable pose. Schiele utilizes rapid, angular strokes that emphasize the contours and tension of the body, moving away from classical ideals toward a raw, confrontational portrayal of the female figure, a critical element of his overall output.

The medium of charcoal was essential to Schiele’s practice, allowing him to achieve sharp contrasts and immediate expressive mark-making. Completed in the year of the artist’s premature death, this piece belongs to a final, prolific period, demonstrating the stark intensity associated with Austrian Expressionism amidst the backdrop of the First World War. Schiele's unflinching portrayal of women, often focusing on explicit or non-idealized forms, cemented his controversial yet foundational place in 20th-century art history.

This drawing is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as an important reference for the study of modern figurative art. The enduring impact of Schiele’s technique ensures that his mature works, including Reclining Woman with Raised Skirt, remain highly influential. Although this is a unique piece on paper, the psychological depth and graphic power inherent in Schiele’s approach to the nude ensure that high-quality prints and reproductions of his significant 1918 drawings are widely circulated, extending the legacy of this Austrian master beyond the museum walls.