4. Space - Research point: Egon Schiele and Negative space

I’ve been researching the concept of negative space within Egon Schiele’s collection of work. There’s something fascinating about how he uses emptiness, not just as a compositional tool, but as an emotional force in his art.

When looking through his artwork, Schiele’s pieces seem sparse. His figures often sit in blank spaces, with little or no background to around them. But the more I look at these pieces, the more I realise how deliberate that amount of emptiness is. It’s not just a lack of detail, it’s an active choice that gives his figures a raw and vulnerable presence.

One piece that shows this well is Seated Male Nude (Self-Portrait) (1910). Schiele’s self-portrait is stark, with his body twisted, with an expression which is almost confrontational. There’s no setting, no distractions, just the figure isolated in a sea of white. That emptiness feels louder than the figure itself, emphasising his vulnerability.

Seated Male Nude (Self-Portrait), 1910

This work reminds me that sometimes leaving a space empty can say just as much, if not more, than adding the extra details. Less is more.

Another piece I liked is Reclining Woman with Green Stockings (1917). The woman is in a somewhat awkward pose with her body almost melting into the empty background. The negative space around her is quite emotive and makes the viewer experience tension. This tension makes her pose feel even more vulnerable, almost as if the space itself is pressing in on her.

Reclining Woman with Green Stockings, 1917

I find it really interesting that position and space in the work can portray and elicits an emotional response. It’s not just about what’s left out, it’s about the way in which that absence changes the mood of the piece. In this work, the emptiness isn’t peaceful, it’s unsettling. It’s being used to tell a story.

One of the hardest lessons I’m trying to learn from Schiele is how to let go of the need to “complete” a piece. His Standing Girl in Blue Dress (1913) is a perfect example of this. The figure feels unfinished but that incompleteness is what gives it power.

Standing Girl in Blue Dress, 1913

For me, this is a reminder that negative space doesn’t need to feel “empty” in the traditional sense. It can feel full of possibility, tension, or emotion. It’s a space that lets the viewer’s imagination take over, and that’s something I want to explore more in my own work.