The Kiss

"The Kiss" by Egon Schiele, executed in 1911, is a profoundly intimate and raw graphite drawing on paper, encapsulating the intense psychological scrutiny characteristic of the artist's Expressionist output. Created during a critical and highly productive period, this drawing precedes Schiele’s more famous oil painting of the same subject by several years, functioning as an essential study of the emotional and physical interdependence of lovers.

The medium of graphite on paper highlights Schiele’s masterful, often frenetic draftsmanship. The outlines of the figures are conveyed through stark, jagged lines, emphasizing the vulnerability and psychological exposure of the embracing subjects. This drawing focuses strictly on the depiction of the couples, employing minimal background detail to concentrate attention on the complicated dynamics between the man and the woman. While the figures are interlocked, the artist resists classical ideals of harmony, instead suggesting the tension and fragile equilibrium inherent in the relationship. This unsettling honesty regarding human connection made Schiele a controversial but crucial figure in the Viennese Secession movement.

As a key example of the artist’s early focus on drawing as a primary medium, this piece offers insight into Schiele's evolving style before his later, more color-saturated works. The classification of this work as a drawing underlines its immediate, searching quality. This significant work is part of the extensive collection of modern art housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Due to its status and age, high-resolution prints of this seminal drawing are frequently found in public domain archives, making this powerful portrayal of human lovers accessible to students and enthusiasts worldwide.