Egon Schiele, an artist associated with the Art Nouveau movement, created the artwork titled “Windows (Facade of a House)” in 1914 in Vienna, Austria. This oil on canvas cityscape measures 110 by 140 centimeters and depicts what appears to be the façade of a residential building. It is currently housed within the Belvedere in Vienna, Austria, where it is on display for public viewing.
The artwork portrays a building façade rendered in a style that emphasizes contour lines and a somewhat subdued color palette. The painting focuses on the geometric shapes and patterns formed by the rows of windows and the tiled roof sections, depicting them in a rhythmical and repetitive manner that is characteristic of Schiele’s work. There is a stark contrast between the textured and detailed portrayal of the building’s features and the relatively flat application of color on the outer walls, which shies away from providing any sense of depth or perspective typically found in traditional cityscapes. This stylization and emphasis on lines and shapes exude the modernist principles of the time, deviating from conventional representations of architectural subjects. The choice of colors, with earthy tones and muted reds, gives the scene a somewhat melancholic and introspective quality that could be reflective of the mood or atmosphere intended by Schiele.
