“Stop and observe the raw intensity of this charcoal drawing. The twisted pose and stark lines capture a powerful emotional state, characteristic of Expressionism, inviting you to look beyond mere representation.”
This charcoal drawing, made in the final year of the artist's life, captures a seated woman with a striking immediacy. Her torso is twisted, her head tilted, and her left arm raised, creating a dynamic sense of unease. The raw, expressive lines of charcoal emphasize the angularity of her body, particularly in the sharp jut of her shoulder and the prominent collarbone. Despite the title, her boots are barely suggested by a few dark strokes, drawing the eye instead to the exposed skin and the psychological intensity of her gaze. This work embodies the Expressionist movement's focus on inner experience over external reality, using distortion and a stark palette to convey emotion rather than a literal likeness. The starkness of the charcoal on paper underscores the vulnerability and directness of the portrayal.
- Artist
- Egon Schiele
- Date
- 1918
- Medium
- Charcoal on paper
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- 18 x 11 5/8 in. (45.7 x 29.5 cm)
- Collection
- Modern and Contemporary Art
- Credit line
- Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The way the charcoal lines define the sharp angles of her body.
Her intense, slightly downward gaze.
The subtle rendering of her left hand near her face.
The heavy, dark shading that suggests the boots at the bottom.
1 more detail is waiting.
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Egon Schiele
1890–1918 · CisleithaniaEgon Schiele, an Austrian Expressionist, captured raw human emotion and twisted forms, often in stark self-portraits.
Further Works by Schiele
Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View
1912 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Standing Nude with Orange Drapery (recto): Study of Nude with Arms Raised (verso)
1914 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Street Cart
1914 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Seated Woman, Back View
1917 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Standing Girl, Back View
1908 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Observed in a Dream
1911 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Seated Woman in Chemise
1914 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Seminude with Arms Raised
1914 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More from Expressionism
More works to explore
Beyond Schiele and Expressionism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Torso of a Seated Woman with Boots belongs to.
Same movement · Vienna Secession
Maude Adams (1872–1953) as Joan of Arc
Alphonse Mucha · 1909 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Die Brucke
Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Railway Bridge on Löbtauer Strasse in Dresden
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1918 · Galerie Neue Meister
Same movement · Der Blaue Reiter
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Bull's Head
Mikhail Larionov · 1913 · Tretyakov Gallery
Same movement · Jugendstil
Portrait of a Lady in a High Hat
Gustav Klimt · 1882 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
The Lineman
Ivan Puni · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Interior at Nice
Henri Matisse · 1919 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Man and Trees, Florida
John Singer Sargent · 1917 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Boy with Baby Carriage
Norman Rockwell · 1916 · Norman Rockwell Museum
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Dada Gauguin
Max Ernst · 1920 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Schoolhouse
Paul Klee · 1920 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Irises
Claude Monet · 1915 · National Gallery
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Man with a Pipe
Pablo Picasso · 1915 · Art Institute of Chicago




