Kneeling Female in Orange-Red Dress

In The Kneeling Female in Orange-Red Dress, Schiele's sister Gertrude appears virtually wedged into the picture plane, owing to the position of the legs and feet. Towering above is the body of the sitter, assembled from individual, almost crystalline planes of color and, except for the head and one hand, covered entirely by fabric. The coiled body looks extremely tense—an impression emphasized by the pencil line, added for no apparent motific reason, arching from the hem of the skirt up to the hand. The glowing orange-red color appears compact despite the inclusions of blue and green, lending the rendering additional tension. Neither the color nor the composition can rival the expressiveness of the gaze from the single eye with which the sitter fixes the artist (and, through him, us).

Schiele's work scandalized conservative Vienna and led to his brief arrest in 1912 on obscenity charges. He died at 28, in the 1918 flu pandemic, days after his pregnant wife. 

We feature this masterpiece in our brand new 12 Months Weekly Planner; it is a perfect engagement calendar for anyone who loves discovering new artworks and artists throughout the year.  :)

P.S. Did you know that Schiele was obsessed with the color orange?!