Nude in Black Stockings — Egon Schiele

ABOUT THIS WORK

A woman sits, her body contorted and exposed, against a stark, unadorned background. She faces us directly, her gaze intense and unwavering, while her left arm crosses her chest, drawing attention to her lean torso. Her right arm is bent sharply at the elbow, hand resting on her thigh. The black stockings that give the work its title are pulled high, creating a striking contrast with her pale skin and the raw, almost unfinished quality of the paper around her. This drawing, created in 1917, exemplifies the Expressionist movement's focus on inner psychological states over traditional beauty, using distorted forms and an expressive line to convey emotion. The deliberate awkwardness of her pose and the visible brushstrokes of opaque watercolor and charcoal emphasize a sense of vulnerability and directness.

DETAILS

Artist: Egon Schiele
Date: 1917
Medium: Opaque watercolor, watercolor, and charcoal on paper
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions: 18 1/8 x 11 5/8 in. (46 x 29.5 cm)
Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art
Credit line: Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982

ART MOVEMENTS

Der Blaue Reiter Die Brucke Expressionism Jugendstil Vienna Secession

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

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01

Tilted face

Look at the narrow face turned sideways against the raised arm, with lowered, heavy-looking lids and pink touches on the cheeks. The expression reads as private and tense.

1 of 4 on the painting

02

Red-brown bobbed hair

The thick, opaque patch of rust red hair is the strongest colour on the page. It frames the tilted face and pulls your eye up first.

2 of 4 on the painting

03

Scratchy black outline

A broken black line wraps the arms and body, thickening and thinning as it goes. It makes the figure feel angular and edgy rather than smooth.

3 of 4 on the painting

04

Dark stocking

The murky stocking with its yellow-gold band is the only clothing, and it is painted thickly. Its dark weight sets off the pale body. A second stocking top shows at the bottom edge.

4 of 4 on the painting

05Whole painting

Twisting figure on blank paper

The body is cropped at the knees and floats on bare beige paper, with no setting. The arms and legs make a zigzag that pushes the pose toward the edges.

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THE ARTIST