Standing Girl, Back View

Standing Girl, Back View is a significant early drawing by Egon Schiele, created in 1908. This work, executed using opaque watercolor and standard watercolor over a foundational graphite sketch on paper, captures a transitional moment in the artist's career as he began moving beyond the decorative influences of Gustav Klimt toward a more personally raw, Expressionist vision.

The subject matter, focusing on young figures, particularly girls, was a recurrent and intense theme for Schiele during this period. By depicting the figure entirely from the rear, Schiele emphasizes the contours of the body and the stark fall of the clothing, isolating the subject and lending the composition a sense of formal study. The subtle application of watercolor allows the underlying graphite lines to remain visible, providing both structure and a dynamic tension to the standing pose.

This piece dates from a pivotal time in Viennese modernism. While the extreme psychological intensity of Schiele’s later portraiture is not yet fully developed, the drawing foreshadows his increasing interest in the isolated, scrutinizing depiction of the human form, stripping away environment and context. The technique employs the heavy texture of the opaque watercolor (or gouache) elements against the looser wash of the standard watercolor, creating a distinctive surface contrast that highlights the fragility of the figure.

Classified as a drawing and an important early study, the work is held within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the age and classification of the work, high-quality images of this Schiele piece frequently enter the public domain, allowing enthusiasts and scholars worldwide to obtain fine art prints and reproductions for study.