The artwork “Seated Woman with Bent Knee” was created by Egon Schiele in 1917, during his time in Vienna, Austria. Schiele, an artist associated with the Expressionist movement, employed mediums such as crayon, gouache, and watercolor on paper to create this portrait. The piece is housed in the National Gallery in Prague, located in Prague, Czech Republic, and stands among Schiele’s significant contributions to the Expressionist genre.
This particular artwork by Egon Schiele depicts a woman seated with one knee bent, exuding a sense of introspection and vulnerability. The use of vibrant crayon and gouache renders her form with intense color contrasts—a hallmark of Schiele’s style. Her pose is relaxed yet expressive, with the bent knee drawing the viewer’s gaze to the center of the composition. Schiele’s distinctive line work, seen in the delicate rendering of the woman’s hands and the contours of her attire, imbues the figure with a dynamic tension. The facial expression, rendered in Schiele’s characteristic manner, conveys depth of emotion and contributes to the raw, emotional intensity often found in the artist’s portraits. The background is minimalistic, allowing the full focus to remain on the feminine form and its emotional resonance.