Mourning Woman

• Egon Schiele (1890–1918)
• 1912
• Oil on wood
• Leopold Museum, Vienna

The woman’s pale complexion framed by a dark cloth evoke the impression of a skull. The facial features of a second figure, looking out from behind her, resemble Schiele’s self-portraits. Schiele often used two faces or a part of the body in his portraits to represent darker themes like inner struggles and divided identities. It was a way for Schiele to explore the depths of human nature and to express indecisive emotions and complicated thoughts.