Egon Schiele:
Standing Woman with Raised Skirt (Stehende Frau mit gehobenem Rock), 1918
Black chalk on brownish wove paper
45.5 × 29 cm
Auctioned at Karl & Faber for €146,050
(Kallir d2412)

Egon Schiele was one of the most important and radical draughtsmen of the 20th century. Rudolf Leopold, the great collector and Schiele specialist, wrote of him: “The pictorial medium that Schiele first created for himself and with which he first demonstrated his artistic originality, indeed mastery, was the personal line. No other artist has used line drawing so skilfully and expressively: cuttingly hard and supple – constructive or fragile – brittle, nervous, as if scribbling or tense – interrupted or extending violently.”

This drawing of a standing woman demonstrates Schiele’s masterful use of black chalk. The lines shift from thick to thin, from deep black to light grey, exploiting the full potential of the medium. In his late work, Schiele often combined expressive line with a degree of mannerism in the elaboration of realistic detail. Here he renders tights with reinforced heels, a laced shoe, the chequered pattern of skirt and jacket, and the lace of knee-length bloomers.

The figure seems to press beyond the sheet itself, her head and feet extending past the paper’s edges. Standing with legs apart, she holds the fabric in her right hand, rests her left arm on her hip, and looks down at herself. The dynamic pose is heightened by flowing, undulating strokes, giving the composition a spirited energy.

As with many of Schiele’s late drawings, the model’s identity remains uncertain. He often worked with anonymous sitters drawn from his immediate circle or professional models. Some scholars have suggested that the figure could be Edith Schiele, his wife or Adele Harms, Edith’s sister, or another close acquaintance, but no definitive identification has been made.

Drawn in 1918, the final year of Schiele’s life, the sheet belongs to the concentrated body of late works where line, contour, and psychological presence are distilled to essentials. The spirited lines and bold composition demonstrate the mastery Schiele achieved in these drawings of his last years.

This commentary is partly based on the auction note from Karl & Faber, whose detailed observations highlight the richness of Schiele’s line and the dynamic presence of the figure.