Poetry

An effusion of my love, – Yes.

I loved everything.

The girl came, —
I found here face;
Her unconsciousness
Her worker’s hands,
I loved everything about Her.
I had to depict her,
Because of her stare 

and her
Closeness to me. —

Now she is gone,
Now I encounter her body.

Above is a translation of a poem written by Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele. While Schiele was a renowned visual artist at the time, he was also a successful lyricist. Schiele did not step far in terms of subject matter concerning his poetry although, majority of his writing revolved around his perception of himself and the world he perceived around him, including his work and way of art making. In the poem Ein Selbstbild (above) Schiele approaches the writing in a clear painterly, art maker way. Even the first line of the poem, “the portrait of the silent pale girl”, correlates very well with Schiele’s drawings of nude female figures. You the viewer, or reader in this case, have the sensibility of looking upon a model as an artist ready to begin your craft, or “encounter her body”. In another poem titled Visions, Schiele’s main focus is the description of a female model in comparison of a landscape, which resonates with a majority of his drawings, paintings, and other styles of work.  The written poem in itself is a work of art, that in my opinion, successfully emphasizes the line that Schiele is so well known for. 

Info and Photo Credit

 “Egon Schiele, Poem "A Self-Portrait", 1910” Masterpieces of the Collection The Leopold Collection Leopold Museum <http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en/leopoldcollection/focus/Schiele> (May 3, 2016)