Egon Schiele’s painting ‘Seated Female Nude’, Elbows Bent is a highly expressive piece that captures the emotions associated with his failed relationship with his longtime lover Wally Neuzil. It shows a woman in a seated pose with her elbows bent, which captures the lack of stability in the relationship. The painting is currently held in the Leopold Collection but was originally seized by the Nazis and has been the subject of a long-running legal case.
By studying this piece, we can gain a better understanding of Schiele’s tumultuous life. This painting also serves as an important reminder that art is powerful, and can be used to express difficult times and powerful emotions in ways words alone cannot convey.
Another brilliant work by Egon Schiele is his painting Reclining Woman With Green Stockings from 1917. Here, he similarly captures human emotion, but with much more subtlety than compared to Seated Female Nude. With its precise lines and careful attention to detail, this piece showcases Schiele’s technical skill and mastery of artistic expression. Through this painting, Schiele successfully paints an intimate portrait of human vulnerability while still achieving great success in terms of form and composition.
