Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele's spare drawing was made with a soft graphite pencil applied with equal pressure throughout. Schiele held the pencil on its side so that the point gouged into the paper on one edge, but the opposite edge is much softer. His line has a uniquely considered quality.

Perhaps most fascinating in this drawing are the breaks and contingencies of the line. Note how the line that describes the right side of the mountain connects to the tree, the horizon, and the house at the right edge, while the line describing the left side of the mountain stops, providing a sense of distance between it and the houses below. The contours under the houses suggest the abundance of snow, further conveyed by the large white areas of empty paper.