Fragment of a Page from a Sketchbook with Figure Studies, undated

In many works by Egon Schiele (1890–1918), the subject is determined by distinctive, at times geometrical forms. Paintings, such as Procession, Revelation, both created in 1911, and the 1912 paintings [Caress (Cardinal and Nun)](/en/object/LM 529), Agony (Neue Pinakothek, Munich, Kallir P230) and Conversion I (private collection, Kallir P231), are only a few examples. On the present loose page from a former sketchbook, Schiele jotted down thoughts and designs for possible paintings. Several figure studies show overlapping and intertwined human depictions. The anthropomorphic architectonic structure in the lower right corner is reminiscent of Gustav Klimt’s composition in his work Death and Life, which depicts the cycle of human existence. While Klimt preferred flowing, curved lines, and often decorated his planes with ornaments, Schiele’s shapes boast angles and edges, and were rendered in darker colors.

KJ, 2024