Seated Woman, Back View

Seated Woman, Back View by Egon Schiele, created in 1917, is a poignant example of the artist's intense, often unnerving approach to figurative work during the twilight years of World War I. Classified as a drawing, this piece utilizes a combination of watercolor, opaque watercolor, and graphite on paper. Schiele, a leading figure in Austrian Expressionism, focused relentlessly on the human form, using sharp, economical lines to convey psychological depth rather than classical beauty.

The figure, rendered from behind, is depicted with the characteristic angularity and profound emotional transparency typical of Schiele's hand. The underlying structure is established through precise graphite lines, while the application of watercolor and opaque pigments adds subtle tonal complexity, defining the curve of the spine and the weight of the posture. The restricted viewpoint focuses the observer’s attention entirely on the physical and emotional geometry of the body, emphasizing vulnerability and interiority, a common subject matter throughout the artist's career.

Created just one year before the artist’s untimely death, the drawing reflects a mature, yet still highly energetic, mode of observation. Schiele masterfully employs negative space, lending the composition a sense of isolation that was pervasive in Viennese modernism. This significant work highlights the technical versatility required to merge drawing media with painting techniques, resulting in a finished piece that is both delicate and structurally formidable. Today, this masterwork resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Through institutional digitization efforts, many of Schiele’s works, including high-quality prints of his seminal drawings, often become widely accessible, allowing the public domain to benefit from the study of his influential artistic contributions.